Liberation In Death
by SilganSentry
Summary: Two Spartans at war with one another fight to maintain their loyalties as well as their friendship. But are they strong enough to defeat their own demons or will they only find liberation in death?
1. Chapter 1

Liberation In Death

**Viewer Discretion is Advised. This work of fiction depicts Violence, Strong Language, and Adult Themes. You have been warned.**

Cold. That's how this place felt. Cold and desolate. But this place had a sense of life to it, a rhythm. The solid thuds made this place seem human. Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum. A heartbeat. This place is no place at all, but a human heart. Why would a heart feel so cold? A heart should be a place of warmth. Whomever owns this heart is not of sound mind nor body.

Wind tugs at the short locks of this human. Scars riddle a war hardened face and bi-colored blue eyes gaze out emptily. A small nose dares to twitch and scarred lips part to produce a small cloud. The lips press into a firm line. White colored armor with accents of an ice color make up the rest of this human. The armor itself battered and worn. A simple MJOLNIR Mark V helmet is held in an armored hand, the other occupied on a hardcase. The feminine codpiece indicates that this human is female. Not only female, but a Spartan.

Tales tell of these large soldiers being the next step for humanity. Super-soldiers. Weapons and tools of the UNSC. Taken at a very young age for experimentation more commonly known as Augmentation. Subjugated to intense training and military discipline. What a life for a simple six year old child.

But this female is full grown, yet has the face of youth. She looks to be in her mid-twenties. She has the look of one much older in her eyes. The years of war that she has seen has made her so. She has seen and lived through the hell of the Spartan II Program, witnessed the brutality of Reach, and has seen the destruction that came with the Great War.

But here she stood, on a snow covered hillside monitoring the burning wreckage of a Frigate. Even from this distance she could see figures gathered in a small group. She felt a hand rest on her shoulder and she looked over to see a smaller male. He wore his hair in the fashion of a mohawk. His armor mimicked that of the UNSC's ODSTs. He begins to speak to her but she holds up her free hand to silence him.

"I don't need any thanks. Especially from you. I also don't need your sympathy. CT was a friend. No more, no less. I help my friends. Now, go." she says in a monotone voice.

Slightly offended by the female's reaction he turns with an angered grunt and walks off down the hill. She didn't watch him go. She instead observed the group as they called out to each other, no doubt assessing wounds and checking for those who might be MIA. She turns to leave, casting one last glance at the wreckage. She places her helmet on but just before it completely seals, she feels a familiar warmth at the back of her neck as well as a familiar echoing voice call out to her.

_"Lydia..."_

**Author's Note:** Well here it is, the intro to the new version of my old fic which was titled: "Fallen Angels, Righteous Demons". I hope you enjoy this sort of teaser to the story. I say teaser because it's short but oh well. As always, never be afraid to leave a review even if it's just a simple comment. As Ellen Degeneres says, "Be kind to one another" and stay awesome!


	2. A Life For A Life

Liberation In Death 

**Viewer Discretion is Advised. This work of fiction depicts Violence, Strong Language, and Adult Themes. You have been warned.**

Chapter 1: A Life For A Life

Fresh wet crunches could be heard as heavy metal boots connect with snow. The combination of the ice color and white making Lydia blend perfectly with it. She had trudged on the hillside and kept walking. Eventually the hills had turned into snow-capped mountains but she still walked on. It almost seems as if she is escaping.

Indeed she is escaping. As more thoughts enter her mind, she begins to pick up her pace, from a slow walk, to a steady trot. She then breaks out in a full out run, her augementations allowing her to carry on running for quite some time. Finally starting to feel her lungs burn, Lydia slows her pace to a complete stop.

But doing so, allowed for the voice to return.

_"Lydia..."_

_ "Lydia..."_

_ "Don't go Lydia..."_

_ "I love you..."_

_ "Do you think we'll make it out of here?"_

_ "Why can't you understand that?!"_

_ "You really think you're going to build me a house on New Harmony?"_

_ "Where does he get off calling a demolitions op a Priority One-"_

"Make it stop! Make the voices stop! I can't take it anymore!" Lydia yells, tears in her eyes.

She falls to her knees, ripping off her helmet in the process. She holds her head and rocks back and forth as the same phrase repeats in her head, clear as day.

_"Where does he get off calling a demolitions op a Priority One-"_

The tears flow freely now. She has been trying for so long to suppress these voices and these memories. She has been trying to maintain this mental illness since her time in Reach. But, the more she fights it, the more prominent it becomes. She feels the familiar twinge as she's wracked with another memory.

_She's here again. In this place. Back on Reach. She sees all of Noble team gathered together. Or, what's left of Noble team anyway. She sees Jun monitoring the city for movement, Emile sharpening his knife, Carter chatting with Jun , and Kat working on getting COMMS established._

_ This nightmare starts all over again with Kat commenting about a radiation flare. The glass shatters everywhere and all of Noble, Lydia included, duck for cover. Lydia is slow to get up but faster than Kat as she runs to check on her. They both head for the closest elevator and take it down. _

_ "First glassing? Me too. Don't worry, I'm on it."_

_ Lydia stays silent as she waits for the elevator doors to open. She silently listens as Kat points out a fallout bunker not far from their position. She's just as surprised as Jun to hear that they're being re-deployed to Sword Base for a demoltions op. The doors open and Kat takes off first and Lydia is close on her heels._

_ Lydia gains a sense of uneasiness as they near the rest of Noble. Time starts to slow to a crawl._

_ "Where does he get off calling a demolitions op a Priority One-"_

_ Time stops as Lydia watches the needle go straight through the back of Kat's head. She sees the spatters of blood hit the floor and watches in horror as her body starts to fall. All she can do is react and she grabs Kat's body. They both stop and Lydia looks up to find the culprit. She looks at Kat again and grimaces behind her visor. She pulls out Kat's pistol and begins firing at the Elite Field Marshal. But it's no use as the Covenant Phantom flies out of range. _

_ She solemnly carries Kat's body to the closing doors. Once they are sealed shut, she pulls off her helmet, gazes at Kat one more time before crying out in anguish._

Lydia could hardly see with how many tears she's shedding. It had been five years since that happened but it is still a fresh wound in Lydia's mind. Shortly after Kat's death, Lydia began to have flashbacks. These flashbacks felt so real to her, almost as if she was there living through them again.

When Reach fell, she was sent to the Cairo for medical examination. She was diagnosed there with PTSD. A more chronic form of it as well. Her PTSD is so strong that sometimes she will act out parts of the memories, most of them violent, and most of them winding up with two or three people in the Medical Bay.

Her eyesight finally clears and she picks herself up from the snow. Even with her armor on she could feel the cold beginning to settle in. She has to move and quickly to find shelter for the night. After all, what kind of Spartan would she be if her legacy was that she froze to death. Swallowing what bit of pride she has left, Lydia heads down the mountain once more to find a shallow alcove to duck into for the evening,

"Status report." A silver and cobalt armored female barks out.

"Carolina...presumably KIA. We all saw what Maine did. As for Tex, she's nowhere to be seen." A steel and yellow colored male responds.

"Thanks Wash. Is anyone hurt?" she asks.

"No Cali. Nothing but a few cuts and bruises. Everybody else is fine. What about you? Are you hurt?" Wash asks.

California gazes at Wash for a brief moment. He can't see the expression that lays hidden behind her visor but he gets the point from her body language.

"Right. Sorry I even asked."

"Don't sweat it Wash." Cali responds light-heartedly, trying to ease the tension.

California moves away from the small group to a duo of men. One wearing glasses and wore his facial hair in the fashion of a goatee. The other, clean shaven. He looks to be middle aged and has the presence of a leader. The other man appeared to be his advisor.

"Status report Agent California." the man states with a heavy southern drawl.

"Three agents are MIA, one is believed to be KIA, Sir." she responds formally.

"I see. Does anyone require medical attention, Agent California?" he asks.

"No Director. Just minor cuts and bruises. Other than that, everyone seems fine. A bit shaken up from the crash, but otherwise all in one piece." she replies.

"I see. I understand you said we have three Agents missing, am I correct?"

"Yes, Sir." she says calmly.

"Who are we missing Agent California? I need their names." he states calmly.

"Agent Carolina, Agent Texas, and Agent Pennsylvania, Sir." she lists.

The Director pauses in thought. His brow furrows as he recalls the names of the missing Agents. He frowns as he processes the information. His two best Agents, and his best recon Agent were missing or KIA. He is displeased with this and his expression turns to that of anger.

"Agent California."

"Yes, Sir?" she asks.

"Gather everyone here. It's time we intiate Protocol Two-Two-Four-Three." he states sternly.

"Sir? Are you sure you want Recovery to come into effect now? With all do respect, Sir, I think we should hold out until first light tomorrow. If we don't set up camp now-"

"Enough, Agent California! I gave you a direct order. Do you dare disobey me now?" he interjects angrily.

Surprised and a little shocked California says,

"No, Sir."

"Good. Then don't disappoint me. Gather everyone here. We _are_ initiating Protocol Two-Two-Four-Three. Is that understood?" he states coldly.

"Yes, Sir." she replies evenly.

"Good. Dismissed, for now Agent California."

California turns on her heel and heads to the group gathered around. She gazes at the other Freelancers, she can see the confusion on their faces as to why anyone would want to do that to the Project. Project Freelancer is good for all intents and purposes. Whoever the Insurrection is, they clearly think the Project is a threat.

"Alright listen up guys. I know that we don't have a leader of our team right now but the Director wants us all to gather by him. I think he has a plan." California says to the group.

They all nod in agreement and follow Agent California back to the Director. They all filled in a line just as they had during the Project. California files in last, making sure that all that were counted for before were still here now.

The Director clears his throat first, gaining the attention of all of the Freelancers. He then adjust his glasses, and takes a more relaxed pose. His gaze wanders over the remaining Freelancers and he can't help but sigh.

"We are down several Freelancers. This attack has made us fewer in number. But, we will overcome. That is why I have taken it upon myself to initiate Protocol Two-Two-Four-Three." he states.

"Protocol Two-Two-Four-Three? Sir, does that mean-"

"Yes, Agent Washington. It means the Recovery teams are effective immediately. You already know your respective teams. I want you to regroup with your teams. The Counselor will give you a list of high value targets for Recovery. Find them, bring their armor and any other Freelancer property back here. For those that have abandoned us, take back their AI fragments. It's time I decomission every last one of them." the Director replies.

"With all do respect Sir, does that include our AI's?" a darker purle and forest green armored male asks.

"Yes, Agent North Dakota. But don't you worry, you may keep your AI throughout the Recovery process. Once Recovery is over, you will be asked to turn over your AI." he replies.

"Understood, Sir." he replies calmly.

California knew better though. She knew how close North was to Theta. The childlike nature of Theta left North as a sort of father figure to the AI. They got along well and California had no doubt in her mind that he wouldn't part with Theta.

_"You seem...troubled, California." _a male voice chimes in her head.

She remains silent until the Director gives a wave of dismissal.

"I'm fine, Omicron." she replies curtly to the AI.

_"Even you aren't cross with me. You are concerned about Agent Pennsylvania's whereabouts?"_ he replies.

"Have you been reading my thoughts again?" she says.

_"No but since Pennsylvania's disappearance you're stress levels have greatly increased. What's on your mind?"_ he states.

"Don't you think it's odd that she disappeared just before the project? Or that she was hanging around CT a lot before she died?" California confesses.

_"Hmm...Now that you mention it, it is rather odd. But back then, we had no idea that Connecticut was aiding the enemy. But, I see your concern. You think she might have aided them don't you?"_ he suggests.

"... It's hard to say. I don't want to accuse her but that's the only reason I can think of her disappearing. And the fact that she hasn't sent a distress beacon just proves she has no intention of coming back." she says, her anger starting to rise.

_"Easy, California. Don't go pointing fingers yet. Find the facts first. _IF_ and I can't stress this enough, _IF_ she has indeed helped CT, don't go for your usual shoot first and ask questions later. Instead, bring her to the Director. Let him decide how it should be handled."_ he replies calmly.

"Ugh... Fine. You win this time Omicron." she replies.

_"I always do. Rationality before irrationality." _he chimes triumphantly.

California grunts to herself before taking off with Wash and Maine for their first mission as Recovery One.

**Author's Note|| Sup guys? Been awhile hasn't it? Well here it is, the first chapter. I'm trying to go more in depth so you'll have to be patient. The chapters will come out when they come out. Take a chill pill lol. Anywho, here's what you can expect in this fic without me going into too much detail: Dipictions of lesbian couples (obviously), your two favorite people from the last fic finally getting a steamy scene, a nice drunken night at a certain club, aaaaannnnnnddd a lot more. So keep reading there's more to come!**


	3. Happiness Has A Price

Liberation In Death

**Viewer Discretion is Advised. This work of fiction depicts Violence, Strong Language, and Adult Themes. You have been warned.**

Chapter 2: Happiness Has A Price

Lydia sighed to herself for about the fifthteenth time today. She's bored, and oddly enough, exhausted. Being on the run from the Project proved to be very tiring. Lydia almost felt bad about doing it. She didn't see all of what happened but she knew that many good people got hurt. The hardest part was leaving the one person that trusted her more than anyone.

"Carolina..."

At first, Carolina hadn't been fond of Lydia. In fact, Lydia remembers quite vividly of their first meeting. She remembers how Carolina was jealous that she, the "rookie" took out Tex in just five minutes. An impressive feat to others, but a challenge to Carolina. At the time, Carolina was still obsessed with being at the top. The best of the best.

Lydia hadn't cared about the board and that's what she knew irked Carolina even more. She hadn't beaten Tex to take her spot on the board, she did it to prove a point. Lydia wasn't saying that Tex was cocky, but she was saying that Tex could be beaten despite what the others thought of her.

But, steadily, Lydia proved time and time again to Carolina of her loyalty to her as the leader of their team. Lydia even helped Carolina plot different ways of executing certain missions. Carolina grew fond of Lydia, and vice versa. Soon the two had become fast friends, but they both decided that discretion was the utmost priority. They both knew that relationships of any kind could prove to be dangerous if made known. Not only for the parties involved, but the people around them as well.

By this time, Lydia was smirking to herself as the wind tugged at her short, dark locks. Despite what many people thought of Carolina, to Lydia she was a good person, just highly misunderstood. Her intentions were in the right place but the way she executed them made her seem power driven and detached. Lydia knew this fact better than even the Counselor himself.

"Hmm..." she thinks bemusedly.

_"What are you thinking about Agent Pennsylvania?"_ a female voice chimes in.

"Well, hello Tau. You were silent until now what gives?" Lydia asks the AI.

_"_I _was busy making sure you weren't followed, and regulating your armor's internal thermals. It was rather frigid on those mountains you know."_ she retorts in a scolding, motherly tone.

Lydia chuckles and says,

"Oh relax, Tau. I wasn't followed, I'd know before you anyway. Recon, remember?"

_"Yes, well, it pays to be cautious. Anyway, what are you thinking about? Wouldn't happen to be about a certain red-haired, green-eyed Freelancer would it?"_ she asks.

"Maybe. You know me too well." Lydia replies warmly.

_"Being stuck in your head for a while tends to do that. Anyway, what _were_ you thinking about anyway?"_ she inquires.

"I was just thinking of a song that York had made up. Had music to go with it and everything. He really liked her, but she never really noticed, or she just didn't like him like that." Lydia says, a grin on her face.

_"Ah, yes. Poor Agent New York. I really wish that boy would know better than try to persue a relationship like that with her. But, I digress. I know all too well of that song. You liked to hum it whenever you were alone tinkering with the Project's systems and files."_ Tau replies knowingly.

"It's catchy." she laughs.

_"That it is. But, it did annoy Agent Carolina. Remember the glares she used to give you?"_

"Absolutely. That was the best part." Lydia giggles.

_"I will never understand you, Agent Pennsylvania. But I do understand one thing."_ she says.

"Don't say it. I know what you're going to say. Just, please, don't say it. I'm still coming to terms with it myself." Lydia replies, her demeanor changing.

_"Very well. I won't say anything. But, I told you so."_ she replies, an amused tone with it.

"Ugh... I hate it when you're right. You're almost as annoying with that as Delta was." Lydia groans.

_"Considering we are all fragments of one AI unit, we are all right in some way."_ Tau says matter-of-factly.

"I know, I know. Don't remind me." Lydia replies.

_"Well if you need me, you know where I'll be."_ Tau states.

"Yeah." Lydia says simply.

Lydia sighed again, but this time with content rather than boredom. Thinking of the cyan colored Freelancer had always made her feel happy. It had been awhile since she had a decent friend, at least one that didn't have an animosity towards her like a certain blonde-haired, silver and cobalt colored Freelancer.

Lydia still didn't understand why "California" treated her like she was the devil come to earth. Lydia had done nothing wrong, except maybe help Connecticut take down the organization California was working for, but she hadn't known that. Had she? Either way, Lydia never understood it, nor did she understand why "California" was hiding who she really was.

Lydia knew California was really Serena Frost or Sierra three-zero-one to her superiors. She was a Spartan, like Lydia. She commanded Blue Team before the tragedy on their home world of Arcadia. Serena had grown up with Lydia. They were childhood friends and it saddened Lydia that their relationship had come to this.

She shook her head in disappointment. She was frustrated that her "friend" didn't seem to understand why she chose to do the things she did. It also irritated her that Serena never understood how she felt. Once Serena had found out Lydia's true feelings for Carolina, Serena had immediately stopped speaking to her. Lydia never understood why Serena hated Carolina so much. Sure, Carolina could be competitive, but that was no reason to hate someone outright. Either way, Lydia had made it a point to protect Carolina. This is one loved one she wouldn't allow to die.

This was no first rodeo for Lydia. She had indeed loved another before Carolina. Her name, was Catherine or Kat for short. She was known as Catherine B320 or Sierra-320 to her superiors. And, much like the start to Carolina and Lydia's relationship, Lydia and Kat's relationship didn't start off in the best circumstances.

The year was 2550.

_Lydia walked along the corridors of the Cairo. A light breeze tugged through her near bald head as she set herself on a steady pace. She rounded a corner and could already hear a heated discussion being had by two individuals she knew well. She decided to hug close to the walls as the voices got closer the further she moved to the next corridor. She recognized a feminine voice and a masculine voice. 'Kat and Carter of Noble team' she thinks as she identifies the individuals. She listens closely to their conversation._

_ "You could have killed everyone! Are you crazy?!" Carter nearly shouts._

_ "__**NOBODY **__died last I checked. And if I'm crazy, so is Colonel Holland!"Kat retorts angrily._

_ "Someone __**COULD **__have died Kat. You need to be more careful before you do kill someone!" Carter replies bitterly._

_ "Everything would have went smoothly had you not been so cowardly and try to pull us out early before I was even finished!"Kat spits out venemously._

_ "I had to do what I had to do to get __**MY**__ team out alive. What did you want me to do? Roll over while the Insurgents killed my whole team?!" Carter questions, stepping dangerously close to Kat._

_ "No! You should have bought more time so I could finish the job! But you're so impatient, it's not a wonder no one likes the way you strategize! I want to get the job done quickly too but things like hacking aren't as fast as we'd like them to be yet! That's why field tests are necessary!" Kat growls back, closing the already short distance between her and Carter._

_ Carter grabs Kat's arm roughly, enough to bruise._

_ "__**YOU **__listen to __**ME**__. __**I**__ am __**YOUR**__ commanding officer. If you step out of line one more time, I will make sure you don't come back from the next mission alive. Do you understand me?" Carter threatens._

_ Lydia grits her teeth and clenches her fist. She's had enough of him. Until she hears Kat say,_

_ "We'll see who's the one not returning from the next mission. My hand just might slip and you'll be stuck behind while the rest of the team and I make it to safety. Oh, and by the way, __**LET. GO. OF. ME.**__" _

_ He tightens his grip, then Lydia hears a loud slap as well as the holler of pain from Kat. She rounds the corner faster than she could think about her actions more clearly. She runs up to Carter and clocks him square in the cheek with enough force to send him to the ground, clutching his jaw._

_ Lydia glares at him but turns her attention to Kat._

_ "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" a redundant question but she asked it regardless._

_ "I'm fine. Nothing to worry about." Kat replies, her voice a bit shaken._

_ Lydia inspected her breifly, noting the bruise on her arm in the shape of a hand as well as the bright red mark emblazened on her cheek before saying,_

_ "Let's get you somewhere safe, somewhere he won't bother you."_

_ "Thanks but that's really not necessary. And I don't mean to be rude but who are you?'" Kat replies._

_ "My name is Lydia. Lydia-013 to be exact. Spartan II. We were in the program together but on seperate levels. I would see you in the Mess Hall all the time." Lydia says._

_ "Wow. Oh yes, I remember now. You would always glance my way and glare at Carter for whatever reason. I can't believe I forgot." she says with a chuckle._

_ By this time Carter had finally gotten to his feet. He was seething with anger and Lydia could feel it. She could sense him getting ready to fight back. She knew she had to make her reply quick._

_ "Yeah. It happens. I'm like a ghost. Would you excuse me for a moment?"she says in a rush._

_ She whirls around and decks Carter again. This time he retaliates and lands a good blow to Lydia's nose. She reels back but recovers quickly, regardless of now feeling blood drip down her nose. She charges him, fakes him out with a punch to the face only to follow up with an uppercut to his gut. He stumbles back, gasping for air. He pushes his pain aside and tries to gather some air before charging Lydia and roundhouse kicking her in the chest. She flies back a few feet and gasps for air. Carter jumps on top of her and starts punching her in any exposed area she can find. Despite the burn in her lungs, she blocks all of Carter's punches. She even breaks his attack and headbutts him. He stumbles back holding his head. She rises to her feet slowly._

_ She finally regains a steady breathing rhythm and cracks her neck. She puts up her fist in defense then rushes at Carter. She comes in with a left hook, then a right hook, and to finally put him down for good, she uppercuts his jaw. He falls on his back, out cold._

_ She clears her throat and spits out blood near him._

_ "That's. For hitting. A lady." she gasps out between deep breaths._

_ Kat stared in amazement, as did many other military members in the hallway._

_ "Come on, let's get those looked at." Lydia says, finally no longer winded._

_ Kat laughs then says,_

_ "I think we should worry about you first. That nose doesn't look to good. Nor does your eye." _

_ "What do you mean?" Lydia asks as she touches her left eye. She winces at the contact. 'Lucky punch' she thinks._

_ "That. Come on, let's clean you up. Consider it my thanks for dealing with him." Kat replies with a light chuckle._

_ "Alright then. We'll call it a draw since you did momentarily forget me." Lydia says, equal amount of humor in her voice._

_ "Deal." Kat laughs._

_ Then both Kat and Lydia walked off to the Med Bay, their friendship now forged in metaphorical blood._

Lydia shook her head at the memory. It was too vivid for her liking. She knew that was a bad sign. She sighed longingly. If only she could rewind time to that point. To that moment years before the fall of Reach. A time where she was happier. A time when Kat was still alive. She didn't realize she had started crying until she saw Tau appear in front of her. Tau said nothing but showed her a look of concern and knowing. Lydia simply cried then, mourning for her now long dead lover. She cried until she could no longer produce tears. Eventually her somber shudders ceased and she stared out at the open field of white. She could almost feel Kat's presence. And for a fleeting moment, she felt Kat's arms wrap around her.

_"I'm always here." _her voice echoed in the space around Lydia.

"Why'd you leave me? You said you'd never leave. You lied!" Lydia yells out more upset than angry.

_"I never left you. I've been here the whole time. You just didn't see me. I'm always with you." _Kat's phantom reasons.

"Then why does everything feel so cold? Why does it feel like my heart has been torn out of my chest? Why? Why?! Tell me!" Lydia wails.

The phantom simply stares at her with sad eyes before disappearing.

"**WHY?!** Why did it have to be you?!" she wails and more tears fall.

_"Lydia."_

"Why..." Lydia trails quietly and somberly.

_"Lydia!"_

Lydia snaps out of her fit to see Tau.

_"We need to go. The freelancers are on their way, and you're in no condition to fight." Tau warns, a stern tone with a hint of concern hidden within it._

Lydia nods and walks off, disappearing into the curtain of falling snow.

**||Author's Note|| Well, after months it's finally here. Chapter 2. I hope you guys enjoyed it. And I hope you found some tissues for that last scene. Pretty feels heavy I know but this fic is going to have a lot of it. I got teary-eyed just typing that last part. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it, remember to never be afraid to comment on this to let me know how you're liking it and how I'm doing as well as if you have any things I could work on. Remember to be nice to everyone if you are reviewing as well as being nice to me, constructive criticism is appreciated but don't be a jerk about it. Simple as that. Anywho I've rambled on enough, stay awesome and keep reading!**


	4. Coping Mechanism

Liberation In Death

**Viewer Discretion is Advised. This work of fiction depicts Violence, Strong Language, and Adult Themes. You have been warned.**

Chapter 3: Coping Mechanism

Serena trudged up the snow ridden hill. She was already growing tired of the banter between Wash and Maine. If you could call the muffled growls and uncertain translations banter, then yes, it was banter. As much as she enjoyed Wash and Maine's company, she felt that she didn't need them to recover the other Agents' armor and AI. Agent Pennsylvania's especially.

The intel had gotten to them a bit late, but Agent Pennsylvania was listed as one of the Agents that needed their armor and AI recovered. Serena was not in the least bit surprised. She had her suspicions but to stoop so low as to _**work**_ for CT was a little too much for her to handle. Her now ex-bestfriend is a traitor to Project Freelancer. As far as California was concerned, the Pennsylvania she knew died in the crash. Only to be replaced by this traitorous ghost of a person she once knew.

Serena was never one to deal with her emotions in the normal, conventional ways. She often took her emotions out on emotionless targets in the firing range, going for fast paced cruises in a Warthog, to just burying her emotions entirely. It was her defense, no, her coping mechanism for dealing with things. Granted it wasn't the most healthy thing, but it saved her from looking weak in the eyes of the others around her.

She hadn't realized she had gotten lost in her thoughts until Wash placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, stirring her from her reverie. He looked at her with concern, or as much concern as a helmeted soldier could portray. She observed Maine inspecting something in the snow.

"Are you okay? I know this hasn't been easy for you. Especially finding out that your best friend is...well, you know." Wash says.

"I'm fine." she replies curtly.

Wash takes this as his warning to not continue talking. He simply nods silently. Serena watches Maine follow something in the snow before returning to them quickly.

"What did you find?" Serena asks, getting to the point.

A few growls and grunts is what she's greeted with. She turns to Wash, whom appears to be stirring from a reverie of his own. She gestures between him and Maine, indicating she needs a translator. Wash understands and asks Maine to repeat.

"He says he found tracks. They were left by armored boots. Too light of steps to be anyone else but Pennsylvania." Wash says.

"So we're on the right track after all. Well done, Maine." Serena comments.

She then starts them off again, this time on the trail that Lydia had left behind. They follow the trail of shallow footprints until they come to an open field where the trail ends in a heaped indent in the snow. Serena silently curses to herself but scans for thermals anyway. She notices something peculiar in the heap of matted down snow.

Instead of the normal blue hues, she sees a trace of green and a little bit of yellow more towards the middle. _'Hm. Fresh. She was here a little bit ago. Probably about ten minutes.'_ she estimates in her head.

_"You'd be correct Agent California." _a gentle male voice in her head informs as a glimmer of light flashes before a pixlated figure appeared.

"Oh? I'm actually right this time Omicron?" Serena comments, enjoying the AI's response.

_"Let's not get cocky. You were right _this_ time. Doesn't mean you will be next time. But, yes. Agent Pennsylvania was here approximately ten minutes ago. Tau's signature flared up at this exact spot."_ he informs with a little bit of an irritated tone.

"Ah...so little miss traitor has her AI still? Interesting. We should be able to track her easily." Serena chides.

"Not neccesarily Agent California. I've already tried tracking her. We cannot find her. She must have herself cloaked somehow." Sigma's haunting voice says seriously.

"If I needed your help Sigma, I would have asked for it." Serena says coldly.

"Cali. Enough. You're arguing with an AI. And you call Pennsylvania crazy, guess we know where she got it from." Wash interjects with a bored tone.

"I am nothing like her. _**NEVER**_ compare me to her. Or that red-haired bitch she likes so much." Serena growls.

"Carolina? Huh. I always thought she liked York. Weird. Never took her as the lady liking type." Wash comments off-handedly.

"Would you two please focus on the mission? While you two debate Agent Carolina's sexual orientation, our trail leading to Agent Pennsylvania grows colder. We must keep moving if we are ever going to find her." Sigma interrupts.

Serena couldn't argue with the demonic AI, as much as she hated Sigma, she had to agree with him. They needed to move and quickly before her trail went completely cold. This debate about their "fearless" leader was going to have to wait.

Biting her tongue and swallowing her pride, California kicks her team into gear and they headed further out into the open field of white.

Lydia trekked on through the snow. The cold wind nipping at her bare face. She had taken her helmet off long ago to "breathe". She needed to clear her head, and the cold air was helping with that to some extent. With a narrow escape from the freelancers, Lydia had to remind herself to tread lightly. She had gotten careless out in the open field. She wasn't going to let that happen again. Especially since Serena was with them.

When the freelancers showed up, Lydia had been hiding in an alcove not far from them. Downwind of both Serena and Maine. She liked to consider them the most dangerous tracking duo. Solo, Lydia was the more dangerous one, but with Serena and Maine working together, it'd only be a matter of time before Lyida was found. When she saw Serena, she also saw her ex-bestfriend's AI Omicron. She had made it a point to keep Tau under radio silence until they left.

Thankfully for her, it didn't take long for them to move on, heading in the opposite direction Lydia was plannning on going. But, since their departure Lydia became racked with memory after memory. It was putting a toll on her. She knew if she didn't get her illness under control, she was going to be found out by Omicron, or worse yet, Sigma.

Calming her her breathing and stilling her shuddering shoulders, she treks off in the direction of warmer temperatures. She was hoping to get off of this mountain range as quickly as she could. Preferably before nightfall. If she knew her ex-bestfriend like she thought she did, she knew Serena would prefer to look for movement at night. It's the most likely time for movement and the most likely time that Lydia will be found out.

She quickened her pace, now far enough away to leave as deep of prints as she wanted to. Not that it mattered, she wasn't planning on going back. Yet, somehow she found her body moving back towards the _Mother Of Invention_. Soon enough she arrived at the crippled ship's final resting place. She glanced around the area with her sniper rifle, noting no activity outside of the ship. She activated thermals and could see several figures inside the massive frigate. She counted four in total.

Deciding that there wasn't an immediate threat, she decided to head down towards the ship. She walked silently around the hulking piece of metal to the cliffside where she had witnessed the brutality of Maine. She remembered the look of fear in Carolina's eyes as Maine stole the one thing she worked so hard to achieve back. Her AIs.

Lydia remembered the day Carolina had decided to recieve two AIs. She had been watching the "new" girl Agent Texas train when she saw Carolina storm out onto the training floor. Lydia had been intrigued by Carolina's bold and direct request that she had made to the Director. It shocked her even more when she heard the Director agree. Her explanations to the Director were true, this armor could hold a full AI, but not by someone as inexperienced with an AI as the freelancers were. Two exceptions being Serena and herself of course.

Lydia remembered that fateful day when she underwent surgery, how she laid unconscious in Recovery while her faithful knight in shining armor, York, had watched over her until she woke up. She remembered the surprise in everyone's tone when she demanded a match with Tex. She remembered how all the AIs experienced a slight malfunction at the mention of the name Allison. It affected her too, but not nearly as bad as the rest of them.

She shakes her head as she comes within one step of the cliff's edge. She peers over and to her surprise, she sees Carolina. Holding on, and still alive. She saw the metallic claw of Carolina's grappling hook and knew that she needed to help. Mustering up her strength, she planted herself deep with in the snow, grabbed the rope, and started hoisting Carolina up. Carolina stirred from unconsciousness and peared up toward the cliff as she felt herself getting lifted to the edge of the precipice.

Lydia grunted ever so slightly as she finally pulled Carolina over the edge. She put a little too much force into it and the two fell back, Carolina landing directly on top of Lydia. Lydia froze as she immediately realized the position they were in, but dared not to move.

Carolina finally raised her head and gazed into Lydia's eyes. Lydia saw surprise flash across Carolina's features, followed by brief anger, then finally her gaze settled on a look of gratitude. Too tired to move, Carolina rested her head on the cool metal of Lydia's chest plate. Lydia smiled down at her, glad that she was alive.

Lydia stiffened suddenly and Carolina raised herself up so that she straddled Lydia's waist.

"What is it Penn?" Carolina asks as she gazes at Lydia.

"Someone's coming, we have to hide." Lydia responds quickly as she moves to stand up.

Carolina needing no further explanation, gets up and extends her hand out to Lydia, who takes it gratefully. Lydia takes a look around, finding no suitable cover, she looks to Carolina.

"What's the plan?" she asks.

"I'm going to have to cloak you. Where's your helmet?" Lydia asks.

Carolina looks over to the cliff and sees her Rogue helmet a few feet away. She quickly grabs it and throws it on, depsite the throbbing pain in the back of her head. Lydia nods to her then activates her armor ability. In order to transfer it to Carolina, she calls upon Tau to help.

"Tau, help me out, cloak Carolina too so that she blends with the snow like I do." Lydia says.

_"I'm on it."_ Tau replies and goes to work.

A short time later, both Carolina and Lydia are cloaked. Lydia then has Carolina lie prone on the ground with her as they watch whomever was heading their way approach. Lydia slowed her breathing, taking only the breaths that were necessary to keep oxygen flowing through her bloodstream. She noted that Carolina on the other hand had shallowed breathing. Almost as if Carolina was hurting. She glanced briefly at Carolina until she heard a foot mat down the snow a few feet away.

She turned her head slowly toward the sound. She noticed two armored figures. Both of them a shade of purple and green. _'The Twins.'_ Lydia notes in her head. She could tell from North Dakota's stance that he was weary. His sister, South Dakota, on the other had was always the brash one. She surged ahead of him a bit and yelled,

"We know you're out there! Show yourself!"

Lydia deciding she'd deal with them alone. uncloaked herself but made sure that Tau kept Carolina hidden.

"Alright guys. You caught me." Lydia says.

"Penn? Where have you been? There's been news spreading about you. They're saying you helped CT take down the project is that true?" North says in a rush, somewhat surprised to see Lydia standing there.

"I'm not going to lie to you North, I owe you that much. It's true. I helped CT obtain valuable information for her employers. I know it's probably something you didn't want to hear, but it had to be made known." Lydia says calmly.

"Hmph. No surprise there. Wouldn't be surprised if you two were cozying up to each other too." South states in an agitated tone.

"Good to see you too South." Lydia comments dryly.

"Well this changes a lot. I don't know what to say. I'm not mad at you Penn, believe me. I understand why you did what you did. Have you seen anyone else? Are you hurt? What all happened?" North says in his usual gentle tone.

"I've only seen you two, Wash, Maine, and... Cali. No I'm not hurt. And we'll have to discuss what all happened at another time." Lydia replies.

"Oh, I see. Those three... two of them would have killed you had they seen you. What about Carolina? She's not KIA is she?" he asks.

"Who cares? As far as I'm concerned that bitch got what she deserved. Everyone thought she was so great and so special. We all worked our asses off and never got anything to show for it. She lifts a finger and everyone is kissing her ass. If you ask me, I'm glad that bitch is dead. Serves her right for trying to be 'the best'." South spits out angrily.

"Watch your mouth, South. Just because you didn't get an AI doesn't mean you can take your anger out on Carolina. She is a great leader, and she is the best. She can actually remain stealthy during a _**stealth**_ mission unlike you. If I were you South, I'd stop saying all this bullshit and talking big before you say something to the wrong person and they knock your ass to the ground." Lydia growls back.

"Oh? What are you going to do about it? Going to punch me? Going to beat me up to defend that red-haired bitch? You're just her stupid lap dog. You always kissed up to her. Did you fuck her too? I bet you did. Anything to get closer to our 'great' leader. Unlike you, I worked for my position on that board!" South hollers, making a threatening step towards Lydia.

Lydia feels her anger rising. But, just before she could make a move, Carolina steps between them, de-cloaking herself.

"Enough! This isn't the time, nor the place to be arguing. South, I'm sorry if you felt like you weren't good enough. You were, just a little overzealous at times. And you," she says turning toward Lydia.

"You shouldn't get so worked up just because South says some stupid bullshit. She wants to talk shit, let her learn the consequences." she finishes.

Lydia gazed at Carolina before looking at the ground, a silent apology to Carolina for her childish behavior. South on the other hand scoffed and looked away from both of them. North simply shakes his head in disappointment at his sister's actions.

"I'm sorry about her. And Carolina," he says and she looks up at him.

"I'm glad you're still alive."

She nods wordlessly to him. North stops briefly and holds a hand up to the side of his helmet. He says a few words of confirmation before turning towards them again. Lydia knew who it was. The Director was checking in on his two remaining Agents.

"You guys better scram, Recovery One is on their way back here. If Cali sees you both, she'll kill you. Don't worry, I'll make sure South doesn't breathe a word. Now go, before they see you." North urges gently.

"Thank you, North. For everything." Carolina says.

"Thank you, North, really. It means a lot." Lydia chimes in as well.

"Happy to help. Now, go." he replies with a warm smile hidden behind his visor.

Lydia and Carolina break out into a sprint, heading off in the same direction Tex had taken hours earlier. They slowed their pace when they reached the top of the hill. They watched as Cali, Maine, and Wash walked up to North and South. They decided not to linger and kept moving, putting as much distance between the _Mother Of Invention_ and them as much as they could. Lydia tried to pick up the pace but heard Carolina cry out in pain behind her. She stopped abruptly and turned around, running over to Carolina.

"Are you alright? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Lydia asks in a rush.

"I-I'm fine. My head..." she trails as she clutches both sides of her helmet.

"Yeah... Maine. If we ever cross paths, I'll make him pay." Lydia growls lowly.

"No. He's normally a good guy. I wonder what Sigma did to him." she wonders aloud.

Lydia helps Carolina to a sitting postion. Carolina visibly winces.

"Can you stand?" Lydia asks.

"I can try." Carolina says.

She goes to stand on her feet but falters. Luckily, Lydia caught her right away. Lydia sat them down so that Carolina's back was pressed into her chest. She allowed Carolina to settle herself. Once settled, Carolina pulled off her helmet. Her fiery red mane tamed only by a simply hairtie flowed freely behind her. Lydia openly stared at her, thanking any diety right now that she was wearing her helmet.

Carolina, for all intents and purposes, was a beautiful woman in Lydia's eyes. Lydia always admired the way her brightly colored hair stood out from the rest of her, only to be accentuated by twinkling emerald eyes. Lydia couldn't deny it anymore. She was in love with Carolina.

Carolina had dozed off during Lydia's reverie of the red-haired beauty. Lydia smiled to herself as she could feel the steady rise and fall of Carolina's chest, signaling her slumber. Lydia knew this moment wouldn't last though. She drank as much of it in as she could, then picked Carolina up gently, grabbing Carolina's helmet along the way. She magnetized it to her back, before starting off again. This time, she headed towards her intial destination, the valley below the mountain.

She walked slowly so as not to disturb Carolina. Every now and then, Lydia would glance down at Carolina's sleeping form. Lydia couldn't help but smile everytime she saw the calm, angelic face. It soothed her to know that this wonderful, strong woman was still alive.

She finally broke through to the treeline at the foot of the mountain and began to weave her way through the dense forest. It was considerably warmer here and she enjoyed the warmth as it warmed up her cold body. She felt Carolina stir in her arms and glanced down. Carolina gazed up with a look of confusion as she took in their surroundings.

"You fell asleep. We had to keep moving so I carried you. We should be safe now. Well, safer anyway." Lydia says gently.

"Wow. How long was I out?" Carolina asks.

"A few hours but it's no big deal." Lydia says nonchalantly.

"You carried me for a few _**hours**_? Didn't you get tired? Was I too heavy?" Carolina questions.

Lydia laughs then says,

"Not at all. We Spartans are built for long durations of stress. And, you're surprisingly light for wearing armor like mine."

"Oh. You know I almost forgot you were a Spartan. It's amazing what you can do." Carolina says with a gentle tone.

"Well, we aren't that special. But, thanks." Lydia says with a smile hidden by her helmet.

Lydia walks on for a bit in silence, still carrying Carolina whom, seems to have no protest to it. Lydia was always curious about what people were thinking. It always intrigued her to learn why people think the way they do. And, it was in this exact moment that Lydia felt her curiosity begin to rise.

"Carolina?" she prompts.

"Hm?" she replies.

"Why are you letting me carry you? If you're capable of walking do you want me to put you down?" Lydia asks.

Carolina paused.

"Normally I wouldn't let anyone see me at my weakest point. But, there's something about you Penn. I don't know what it is. You just have this air about you where I can feel comfortable enough to let you see me like this. I don't feel like I have to prove anything with you. I feel comfortable, safe even. I can't describe it. And, if you tell anyone I told you this, I'll kill you." Carolina replies.

Lydia laughs at the last bit. She finds her heart swelling with happiness at Carolina's words regardless of the threat at the end. _'Maybe she likes me after all'_ Lydia thinks to herself as she grins widely behind her helmet. Lydia nearly missed it, but she saw a slight pink twinge to Carolina's cheeks. The only thing that made it look more adorable to Lydia was the slight pout Carolina had along with her furrowed eyebrows.

"What's so funny? I mean it." Carolina warns.

Lydia chuckles lightly and says,

"Nothing. You just look so cute right now." Lydia says but freezes as she realizes what she said. She stops dead in her tracks.

She dares to steal a glance down. What she sees surprises her. It's not anger on Carolina's face. It's shock. Along with a deep shade of red accenting her cheeks almost matching the color of her hair. Carolina, the cold, distant soldier was blushing. Carolina quickly turns her head away once she notices Lydia staring, trying to hide her blush.

"Are you blushing, Carolina?" Lydia asks with a chuckle.

"No..." Carolina trails, her blush deepening.

Lydia laughs at this.

"Sh-Shut up. Put me down." Carolina says.

"Alright, as you wish." Lydia giggles.

Carolina punches Lydia in the shoulder lightly. And starts to tread slowly on her own. Lydia rolls her eyes and shakes her head, still lightly laughing from the little exchange. She follows Carolina catching up to her easily. They walk along in silence until they reach a small stream. Carolina stops and inspects the area around them.

"This seems like a good spot to make camp. What do you think?" Carolina says looking at Lydia.

"Sounds good to me. I'll take first watch. You need your rest." Lydia replies.

"Absolutely not. I will take first watch. You've been on your feet all day. You need rest." Carolina argues.

"Carolina, I can go days, even months without sleep. I'll be fine. Trust me." Lydia counters gently.

Carolina pauses again. She ponders what Lydia said for a moment before saying,

"Fine. But at midnight you wake me up so we can switch. Deal?"

"Deal." Lydia agrees.

"Well, since there's a stream here, I'm going to freshen up." Carolina states.

Lydia takes of her helmet then says,

"Alright. Sounds like a good idea."

Carolina looks at her expectantly. She then clears her throat and makes a motion for Lydia to turn around.

"Oh! Sorry. I'll just.." she trails as she turns her back to Carolina.

She can hear the familiar clicks as the armor's locks come undone. She hears Carolina place each piece of armor carefully on the ground. She then heard the familiar zip of the undersuit. She decided to distract her mind as images of a very beautiful and very naked Carolina drifted in. She listened to the sounds of small animals scurrying along the forest floor, the slow trickle of the stream, and unfortunately, the pleasured sigh of Carolina as she washed herself in the stream.

Lydia shook her head trying to shake the images that kept plaguing her thoughts. She started to whistle a tune, the same tune that Carolina hated. She heard the motions in the stream stop. She knew Carolina was listening but she continued to whistle it regardless. She heard a few splashes and knew that Carolina was exiting. She heard the familiar zip of the undersuit again but it stopped halfway. She heard the clicks of the locks on the armor again.

"You can turn back around now." Carolina says.

Lydia turns on her heel and sees that Carolina is half dressed. Her lower half was armored but her upper half was revealed with a cyan colored tank top to cover up the area. Lydia had to stop herself from staring. So she took this time to squeak passed Carolina to the stream to freshen up herself. She removed her armor bit by bit but only zipped her undersuit halfway down. She splashed cool water on her face and scrubbed off the dirt. She felt a prescence behind her as she dipped her head briefly into the cool stream.

She raised her head out of the water and let the water trickle down her form. The droplets dipped into the divets of her many scars that littered her body, and between her breasts that were free from the undersuit's tightness. She felt eyes on her. Carolina was the one staring now. She stood up from her crouched position and turned to face her. She saw that Carolina had that pink twinge to her cheeks again.

But, instead of hiding, Carolina took a step forward. She kept up her steps until she was right in front of Lydia's tall, muscular form. Her eyes ravaged Lydia up and down. Lydia simply watched her, intrigued by what Carolina was doing. Carolina's eyes followed every dip in Lydia's body. It traced every scar and slight imperfection etched into the lightly tanned skin. Then Carolina reached out and brushed a long scar along Lydia's chest. It stretched from her left collarbone and stopped at her sternum. Lydia's breath hitched at Carolina's touch.

"Carolina..." Lydia breathed.

Carolina leaned up, almost on her tip toes and kissed Lydia. Lydia's eyes widened as she felt Carolina kiss her. She snapped out of her surprise quickly and returned the kiss deeply. They stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity until Lydia pulled away.

"I...I should uh get to my watch." Lydia says as she clears her throat.

She zips up her undersuit and attaches the rest of her armor with ease. She walks a few feet away and begins to monitor the area. She touches her lips breifly before throwing her helmet back on. _'Woah'_ she thinks idly to herself and smirks.

Carolina on the other hand had watched her go. She stood there shocked by her own actions but at the reciprocation from Lydia. She too touched her lips briefly. She then sat herself down against a log. She couldn't deny it anymore, she was in love with Lydia. All of this time and even she hadn't known she liked Lydia much less women in general. Carolina decided sleep would help her regardless of having been unconscious a half an hour ago. She rested back against the log and quickly fell asleep.

Lydia breathed a sigh of relief. She could finally relax. She had tensed up when she felt Carolina watching her, now that Carolina was fast asleep again she could resume her watch. Every so often her eyes would drift over to Carolina's sleeping form. She would smile every time and remember their kiss. It was so intense and yet so delicate at the same time that Lydia couldn't fully wrap her head around it.

_"I think you have your answer Agent Pennsylvania." _Tau's warm voice chimes in.

"I guess so. I just, can't believe that actually happened though." Lydia replies to the AI.

_"But, on the brightside you now know how she feels about you."_ Tau says reassuringly.

"True. But, I just fear for her safety now." Lydia states in a slight worried tone.

_"That's natural. It'll pass. Agent Carolina is more than capable of handling herself."_ Tau says.

"Yeah I know. But, you know that's not the reason why." Lydia states gravely.

_"Don't worry. It won't happen again. I know you'll make sure of that."_ Tau replies calmly.

Tau went silent along with Lydia. She welcomed the night time silence and with it was the chatter of the nocturnal creatures. She had time to think. She knew she couldn't get so worked up just yet, nothing was set in stone just yet. And, it might never be. But, Lydia was happy that she finally knew how Carolina felt.

Lydia carried on her watch with a smile on her face.

Tomorrow was going to be a great day.

|| **Author's Note **|| **Well guys, here's chapter 3. I hope you are all enjoying this fic as much as I enjoy writing it. I'm having a lot more fun this time around then I did with **_**Fallen Angels, Righteous Demons**_**. I'm glad that I'm going at my own pace and that I'm able to elaborate more on the characters and how they're feeling. It's a lot less cookie cutter this time around. I hope you guys enjoyed that little bit of fluff that I threw into this chapter. Hope you enjoyed, and remember; Stay awesome and keep reading!**


	5. Heart of Stone

Liberation In Death

**Viewer Discretion is Advised. This work of fiction depicts Violence, Strong Language, and Adult Themes. You have been warned.**

Chapter 4: Heart of Stone

Serena stood before the Director silently as he berated her team for their inability to find Agent Pennsylvania. He glanced angrily at every one of them, spending extra time on Serena. She simply gave him the thousand yard stare and didn't dare say a word.

He sighed after awhile and dismissed them for the night. Serena trudged off to her quarters, if it still remained intact. Once inside her quarters, which was in surprisingly good condition, she slowly stripped out of her armor. Once fully free and dressed into a silver tanktop with black combat pants, she placed her combat boots on and laced them up, just in case the Director had another surprise meeting that required her attendance.

She had always found it odd that the Director would call her to his quarters at late hours in the evening. She couldn't say no to him. She owed him her life. After all, it's not everyday you get saved from certain death.

Serena shook her head, trying hard to not remember that fateful day to no avail. She sighs. _'Why can't I remember nice things for once? Like when..._she_ would get mowed down by Kelly on the Cairo.'_ she thinks to herself solemnly. She gives in to the memory.

It was 2552 on the planet Arcadia when Serena had gotten rescued. Herself along with the rest of Blue Team, was assigned to Arcadia to provide extra support in order to save the planet from certain doom. Much to her team's surprise and dismay, the Covenant had already beat them there. She remembered seeing so many ground forces. She also remembered Lord Hood reassigning them to be a rescue detail.

They tried to save as many people as they could, evacuating them along the way while surpressing the Covenant forces. Serena remembers when the last civilian transport flew away to safety. She remembers that as the time things went straight to hell. Covenant forces began to surround them and almost overtake them. They got backed up to the beach, but they had already lost two teammates. She remembers that it was just herself, Chief, Kelly, Fred, and Linda.

She remembered getting surrounded by the Covenant, making the LZ hot. In order to clear it, she only had one choice; Stay behind while the others got out. Her team had fought with her about the issue but eventually she had convinced them to take the pelican and go. She spent a long few hours in a firefight before she ran out of bullets and had to rely on her Energy Sword and even that was running low.

She remembered vanquishing the last Elite in the area. She remembered being exhausted and seriously wounded. She had collapsed, welcoming her fate with death. She remembered faintly hearing a pelican overhead. The last thing she remembered from that day was an older gentleman accompanied by two others in armor like hers rescuing her.

Her memory was a little fuzzy after that, but she still remembers to this day, accepting without hesitation to join the Project when the Director finally asked her. She smiled a bit remembering how much time he had given her to recover even though she didn't need much time at all.

She sighs longingly. She misses her team, her old team. She misses Chief, Linda, Kelly, and Fred. She often wondered what they were up to. No doubt Chief was off saving the universe like he always does. She just hoped Linda, Kelly, and Fred were able to get off of Onyx safely.

Her data pad dings, snapping her out of her thoughts immediately. She picks it up off of her nightstand. She flips through the device until she finds the message. It was from the Director. She glances at the time on her data pad. _'11:00pm. Figures. He's right on time. What does he want now?'_ she thinks, slightly irritated.

She reads the message briefly and heads off to the Director's quarters. _'Wonder what he wants now? Congratulate me on a failed mission? Ask me more questions about..._her_.'_ she thinks as her irritation rises. She arrives at his door in a matter of minutes and only has to knock once before he gives her permission to enter.

"Good Evening, Agent California. I do hope I did not disturb you or wake you." the Director's southern accent drawls on.

"No, sir." she replies curtly.

"Good. I'm aware of your distaste for these meetings but you can drop the formalities. I have something different planned for this meeting." he states gently.

She gazes at him a little puzzled. It was no secret, at least not to herself that she harbored some romantic feelings for him. She had never acted upon them of course, but the Director's tone hinted that this indeed was a different meeting than what she's used to.

"Um...Sir?" she questions.

"Leonard." he warns

"Um...Leonard. What exactly is this meeting about?" she asks, her confusion rising even further.

He strides over to his door and locks it. _'Uh-oh. This is odd.'_ she thinks and suddenly the war-hardened Spartan is nervous, right down to her core. He strides back over to her and in one swift motion, pulls her in for a kiss. She stares wide eyed at him. Her rational side urges her to make him stop, but a more carnal side begs for more. She ultimately listens to reason and gently pushes him away.

"Leonard. I don't think this is appropriate." Serena comments, trying to steady her breathing.

"Serena, is it okay if I call you that?" he asks, she returns a simple nod to him.

"Serena, you and I both know how we feel towards each other. Do you really think it would have been much longer before one of us decided to act upon the most basic of human needs?" he states gently.

"I suppose not, but I still don't think this is the appropriate time or place." Serena replies, trying not to hurt the Director's feelings.

"What better time than now Serena. We're alone, everyone else is out looking for the Agents, the Counselor fled not wanting to risk capture from the authorities. I see no better time." the Director presses.

Serena hesitates. _'He's got a point... STOP! Would you listen to yourself? What are you? A horny teenager? Well considering you've never really had sex..NO! No. Think, his daughter is your age...yeah. Definite turn off. Aaannnd we're okay now.' _she chastises herself. She wears a solemn look and looks directly into the Director's emerald green eyes.

"I'm sorry...Sir. I just can't. With all do respect, Sir, I'd rather you not press the issue." Serena says calmly but with a hint of sadness to her tone.

The Director's demeanor changes and he adjusts his glasses so that the shadows hide his eyes.

"Very well, Agent California. I respect your wishes. However, if you ever need anything, my door is always open to you." he replies curtly.

She rises from her seat and he walks her to the door. He promptly unlocks it and she takes her leave, walking rather quickly down the hall. Once she is clear of his line of sight, she lets out a small breath of relief. _'That was close.'_ she thinks to herself.

_"Was it, or did you force your own feelings down for the protection of someone you hate?"_ Omicron chimes in.

"No, Omicron. You know how much I hate Carolina. I didn't do this for her, I did this for me. I have more self-restraint than I care to admit. That, and I just wasn't in the mood." Serena states dryly.

_"I live in your head, remember? I know you're lying. Admit it, you don't want this relationship to happen because you don't want to make Carolina and yourself feel awkward."_ Omicron chides all too knowingly.

Serena remains silent.

_"Just as I thought. Even though you don't like Carolina, you still consider her feelings. Afterall, you and one other freelancer are the only ones that know Carolina is the Director's daughter."_ Omicron says gently.

Serena growls then says,

"I'm aware of who the other freelancer is. And, if you mention _her_ name, I will yank you out of my head myself. She's dead to me. I don't want anything to do with her."

_"Such hostility over one human being. Remind me again why you hate her so much?"_ Omicron asks.

"I don't want to talk about it." Serena mumbles.

_"And why not?"_ Omicron presses.

"Because."

_"Because why?"_

"Just because. Now, drop it." Serena growls.

_"Exactly. You can't pinpoint an exact reason as to why you hate her so much. Unless you want to prove me otherwise?"_ Omicron trails.

"..."

_"Just as I thought. No matter what happens between Agent Pennsylvania and you, you will always have a soft spot for her."_ Omicron states.

"That's where you're wrong. I know what she did and I'll _never _forgive her for it."

_"Then what, pray tell, did she do that is so bad to earn her your wrath?" _Omicron asks.

Serena falls silent before finally stating in a empty, cold tone,

"She helped CT."

_"That's it?"_

"No." she replies curtly.

_"Then what is it?"_

"She's going to kill the Director."

**||Author's Note||**

** Well here you go guys. Chapter 4. It was a long time coming but I just recently had to move from the state I was living in to a new one and had to get settled. Anywho, the creative juices are back and I'm ready to give you guys more chapters at a more frequent rate. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, it may seem short but I tried my best. Remember to keep reading and stay awesome! :D**


	6. Scar Tissue

Liberation In Death Chapter 5

**Viewer Discretion is Advised. This work of fiction depicts Violence, Strong Language, and Adult Themes. You have been warned.**

Chapter 5: Scar Tissue

Bright morning light broke through the trees and caressed a certain red-haired freelancer. She stirred, feeling the warmth of the sun on her cheeks. She gazes around her surroundings and starts to panic as she sees no sign of Penn.

She stands up quickly, zips her undersuit the rest of the way, and re-attaches the rest of her armor. She finds her helmet resting a mere foot away from her and picks it up. To her surprise, she sees a little data chip fall out of it. She tentatiely picks up the small chip and inspects it. _"Odd..." _she thinks as she throws on her helmet. She then plugs the data chip into the back of her helmet.

She sees Lydia's face pop up on her HUD. Lydia's recorded face then begins to speak.

_"Good morning sunshine!" _Lydia's hologram says then continues,

_"I wanted to leave this recording here in case you got worried and were about to start a search. Don't worry, I'm fine. Nothing bad happened, I just went out to get you some breakfast. I've been out here before and took it upon myself to stash some rations. Oh, and if you're wondering why I didn't wake you, it's because I knew you really needed proper rest. After all, you did almost fall to your death off an icy cliff. Yes, I know I'm in deep trouble when I get back, but you deserve all the rest you can get. I'll see you soon!"_ Lydia's hologram flashes a smile then disappears.

Just as it disappears, Carolina sees the actual Lydia peek around a tree. She pulls off her helmet and sets it on the log. She then crosses her arms as Lydia draws closer, a shy smile on her face.

"I know. I'm in trouble." Lydia admits.

"You're more than in trouble. Why didn't you wake me up to tell me? I woke up and you were gone! What else was I supposed to think?" Carolina retorts bitterly.

Lydia looks a little shock and...was that hurt that Carolina could see?

"I know and I'm sorry. I didn't think it would be that big of a deal. It won't happen again, I promise." Lydia says shyly.

"Okay." Carolina states.

_"Why did I lash out like that? Lydia didn't deserve that. Think Carolina, she still looks so...hurt. You need to reassure her that you're not that angry.'_ Carolina thinks to herself.

Carolina steps closer to Lydia and hugs her tightly. _"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you"_ she thinks to herself as she feels Lydia tense. She stays there a bit longer and feels Lydia relax. _"There we go."_ Carolina says and slowly releases Lydia.

She looks up to the taller woman and sees a small smile grace the Spartan's features. _"What a beautiful smile. She always seems so happy"_ Carolina thinks happily as she returns the smile with a small smirk of her own.

"Care to tell me what you brought for breakfast?" Carolina states with a hint of humor in her tone.

She sees Lydia smile before saying,

"Well, milady, today's special is a flavorless mess of oats called oatmeal. And with it, water."

Carolina rolls her eyes and says,

"_Milady_? Where the hell did you get that from? So proper for oatmeal and water."

"Well it's a show of endearment from a time long, long ago. Sorry it's not bacon and eggs but it is food." Lydia replies with a chuckle.

"Fair enough. I'll take whatever you got in all honesty. I don't remember the last time I had food in general." Carolina says with a chuckle of her own.

_"I never knew I could feel so comfortable around someone seemingly so intimidating. She makes me feel like I can really be myself around her. Is this what love feels like? Is this what it feels like to not feel so pressured to be the best?"_ Carolina wonders. Lydia gets to work cooking their breakfast. Carolina just looks around their small encampment, secluding herself to her thoughts.

_"Mom...I wish you were here. What would you think of me if you knew I was military now? What would you think if you knew I'm starting to have romantic feelings for a Spartan? Do you think about me wherever you are? Do you still care about Dad and I?," _Carolina sighs. _"I wish you were here. You'd know exactly what to say."_ Carolina gets snapped out of her thoughts by Lydia tapping her and offering her a bowl of oatmeal along with a cantine filled with fresh, cold water.

She mutters her thanks and starts to eat the mush. To her surprise it doesn't taste as bland as she was expecting. She could taste a hint of sugar as well as strawberry. She looks up at Lydia with a questioning gaze.

"I also stashed some rations of sugar and I found strawberries on my way back." Lydia says with a smile.

"How did you know I like my oatmeal with a bit of sugar and strawberries?" Carolina asks, genuinely curious.

"We used to eat breakfast together in the Mess Hall when everyone else was gone. I used to watch you make your oatmeal. Two spoonfuls of sugar and fresh cut strawberries." Lydia states warmly.

_"She got everything right down to a tee. I can't believe I forgot that she would sit with me so I wasn't so alone. How could I not have noticed her watching me?"_ She thinks in shock.

"And I can tell you want to ask it, you always had earbuds in. You liked listening to an older form of music by an artist named Lindsey Stirling. And, if I'm correct, your favorite song is "Roundtable Rival"." Lydia states as she eats another spoonful of her oatmeal.

"Wha-? How did you-? Nevermind. I'm not going to ask." Carolina says with a look of disbelief.

Lydia just chuckles and keeps eating her breakfast.

Soon enough, both women had polished off their bowls. Lydia took Carolina's and began to wash the bowls in the stream. Carolina sighed as she rested after a good breakfast. She was still shocked by the fact that Lydia not only knew her favorite artist to listen to in the morning, but also knew her favorite song. Was she really so obvious? Or, was Lydia just more observant than she thought?

As Lydia comes back she hears something odd, yet familiar at the same time.

"Footsteps." Lydia says.

"And not the friendly kind." Carolina adds.

Immediately, Lydia ditches the bowls and dives for her sniper rifle. Carolina throws on her helmet and clicks the safety off to her pistol. She then takes cover behind a tree. Lydia dives for her helmet and rolls behind a rock.

"Two hostiles. . . no, three. Shit." Lydia says softly.

"How far?" Carolina asks quietly.

"Maybe a click, if that. Listen, you need to get out of here, let me handle them." Lydia states seriously.

"What? No. I'm staying put. I can help. Who is it that it's got you this worked up?" Carolina hisses.

"It's Recovery One."

"Oh no, you don't mean-"

"Yep."

"Shit. Not _her_ or even _him_. Wash I can handle, but Cali and Maine are a different story." Carolina breathes.

"Duh, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Listen, I have a plan but you're not gonna' like it." Lydia says.

_"I really hope she isn't thinking about running right through them. No, come on, it's Penn. She's smarter than that. However, that doesn't mean she won't try anything stupid that she thinks will work. Pull yourself together Carolina! Focus." _Carolina debates.

"We're going to sneak passed them." Lydia states.

"What?! Are you nuts?!" Carolina whispers angrily.

"Look, it'll work if you stick close to me. Just stay close, do as I say, and try not to make any noise." Lydia says calmly as she disappears, blending with her surroundings.

Carolina feels a hand on her shoulder and she too, disappears. They both slowly make their way down the hill, passing by a small creek. Carolina looks off to the left as she sees California, Maine, and Wash near their former camp site. She holds her breath as Lydia comes to a halt, monitoring the intruders. She slowly releases her breath as Lydia continues onward.

"Well, they were here alright. Or, at least _she _was here." Cali states.

"Maine says the fire is fresh. Hastily put out, almost as if she was in a rush." Wash adds.

California nods then says,

"Spread out. They couldn't have gone too far. Use thermals, knowing _her_ she probably cloaked herself and that red-haired bitch she's so fond of."

"Go, go, go!" Lydia whispers vehemently.

Carolina keeps up with Lyida easily as they make a hasty escape. Or so she thought.

A loud bang rattles out across the forest and Carolina watches in horror as Lydia's body lurches forward, her cloaking mechanism disabled, revealing both of them. Blood spatters the ground in front of Carolina. She watches in shock as Lydia hits the forest floor.

"Fuck! Carolina, Run!" Lydia hollers.

"No! I'm not leaving you like this! _We_ are getting out of here! _Together_." Carolina calls back.

Lydia hastily rolls on to her back and readies her rifle. She heaves out a pained breath and says,

"There's three of them and only two of us. One being injured. You can't fight them alone Carolina. Especially not Cali. So, for once in your life Carolina, stop being so damn stubborn and do as your told!" Lydia growls.

Carolina pauses at Lydia's words. Another loud bang rings out, this time from, Lydia's rifle.

_"You're always so stubborn. You get it from your father"_ her mother's voice rings in her head. _"Be good for your father okay? Don't be too hard on him. And remember; Don't say goodbye. I hate goodbyes. You'll see me soon, I promise. I love you." _Carolina shakes her head at the memory and nods to Lydia. As much as it tore her apart on the inside, she knew she needed to listen. Taking one last, rather long glance at Lydia, she takes off.

Carolina runs, and runs, until her lungs burn. The gunshots had died down along the way and she only hoped that Lydia was okay. _"She has to be. She's a great soldier, she'll be fine. Just keep moving. She'll find you. She _will_ come back."_ Carolina thinks. But, the more distance she put, the less sure of herself she became. Her thoughts turned to what ifs, and those what ifs began to become real in her mind.

Lost in thought she ended up sprinting into something very hard, and a light metal twang echoed out. She shook her head and looked up to see what she had hit. To her dismay, it wasnt who she was hoping it to be. Instead, it was a silver and cobalt colored female. _"California"_ Carolina grimaces.

"Well well, little red. On your way to grandma's house?" Carolina chides with a crude sneer.

Carolina stands quickly and draws her pistol, aiming it at California's head.

"Where. Is. She?" Carolina growls.

"Probably six feet under by now. Just like you will be if you don't put down your little toy." California replies with a sadistic grin hidden behind her visor.

"You're _lying_." Carolina states angrily.

"How are you going to prove it? Maine is probably burying her right now. And you my dear, are next on that list." California says cooly.

"The only one who's going to be buried is you. Why are you even doing this? Why do you hate her so much? I understand why you hate me, you always have, but I don't get it with your 'best friend'." Carolina tries to stall.

California chuckles menacingly.

"Oh sweetheart, you are so blind to the truth. Too bad your time is up."

Just then, she feels a crushing hand on her shoulder. She dares to steal a glance and grimaces as she sees Maine standing behind her, covered in blood that looked like both his, and someone else's. She swallowed hard and could hear her heartbeat as if there was no other sound other than the loud thumps. She had mere seconds to decide.

_"This is it. I'm going to die here."_

A single sniper rifle rings out.

Carolina had her eyes shut tight, waiting for the pain but felt nothing. Instead she felt the crushing hand leave her shoulder completely. She opens her eyes to see Maine on the ground, clutching his shoulder. She looks towards where California is gazing and is shocked to see none other than Lydia. She was bloody and her breathing was labored, but there she was. _"Alive."_ Carolina thinks happily.

"Alright, that's enough Cali. I think you've scared her enough for today. Why don't you just get out of her before you really get hurt." Lydia states boldly, but coughs up a bit of blood at the end of her sentence.

This time, California laughs. An open, and venomous laugh.

"You really think you're in _any_ kind of shape to fight me? Let alone Maine too? Please. You couldn't throw a punch right now even if you wanted to. Give up and die already!" California exclaims as she fires her sniper rifle.

"NO!" Carolina exclaims and tackles California to the forest floor.

She lays into California with a series of punches. All her anger, all of her sadness was coming to life in the form of strong punches. California found her strength and shoved Carolina off of her. Carolina pulls out her baton and extends it, readying herself for a fight. California pulls out her energy sword, having lost her sniper rifle after being tackled.

"Alright. So little red can fight for herself. This ought to be interesting." California chides.

"Save it. I'm going to make sure you _never_ hurt Lydia or anyone else, ever again!" Carolina growls.

"You can try, but that little stick won't save you from this." California states, waving the energy sword slightly in front of her.

Carolina grits her teeth and charges in, catching California off guard. She proceeds to hit Cali in several of her weak points. With a solid hit across Cali's chest, she's forced to back up. Cali growls and steadies herself. She charges towards Carolina and slashes her energy sword. Carolina narrowly dodges the slash and uses Cali's momentum to flip her on her back, forcing Cali to drop the sword. Before Carolina can follow up, Cali is back up and slashing at Carolina with more precision.

They can both hear gunshots and several branches being broken a few yards off but don't let the noise distract them. Cali grips her energy sword tight and begins to attack Carolina again. Carolina dodges each swipe very narrowly. _"I need to disarm her. At this rate I'm as good as dead if I don't."_ She thinks. Carolia strikes out, trying to connect with any open area on Cali's torso. Her baton is met by Cali's energy sword and is clipped in half. _"Fuck!"_ Carolina curses.

"Told you. Man, you really are stupid." Cali chides matter-of-factly.

Carolina takes the time to land a punch square in Cali's gut. Cali recoils and bites back a grunt. Carolina then roundhouse kicks the energy sword out of Cali's hand and follows up with an uppercut to Cali's jaw. The sword flies out of her hand and she falls back on the forest floor. Carolina jumps on top of her and throttles her with a barage of punches. With each punch, her anger grows more as she realizes how much pain she's caused Lydia. Each punch becomes more precise, each hit harder. With one final punch, Carolina knocks Cali unconscious, and let's out an angered yell that has been repressed for so long.

She stands up and turns around. To her surprise, she sees a worn, and wounded Lydia standing there. Her helmet was off, blood was dripping off her chin from a cut on her lip and head. She had a bloodied nose, and several other cuts litered her body. Carolina knew she had recieved several good bruises during her fight with Cali. But, Lydia was far worse than her.

"Do you feel better?" Lydia asks with a light chuckle.

Carolina pulls off her helmet and wordlessly hugs Lydia. Lydia stiffens in surprise but is quick to recover and returns her hug. Carolina breathes in Lydia's scent. It was mixed with the metallic scent of blood but it was still Lydia. She always smelled like the woods they were surrounded by with a hint of something sweeter. She could never place her finger on it, but she always welcomed this scent. It calmed her and made her feel whole.

"Let's just get out of here. Please." Carolina whisper with a long sigh.

Lydia simply nods and they walk off together, disappearing over a hill. But just before they do, a voice pops into Carolina's head.

_"I'm so proud of you. I'll see you soon."_

_ "I'll see you soon too, Mom."_

**||Author's Note||**

**Here it is! The long awaited chapter 5. I'm so sorry my dear readers about the long wait. I've been dealing with some stuff at home and haven't had the motivation to write. But, now things are better and I'm getting back into the groove of writing. I will try to update as much as possible but I can't guarantee that it will be as frequent as I promised before. I hope you guys enjoy this slightly short chapter. As for you fans of Cali and the Director, you all are in for a real treat in the next chapter. ;) Remember to keep reading and stay awesome!**


	7. Love, Hate, Sex, Pain

Liberation In Death Chapter 5

**Viewer Discretion is Advised. This work of fiction depicts Violence, Strong Language, and Adult Themes. You have been warned.**

Chapter 6: Love, Hate, Sex, Pain

"You are all a disgrace to this project! You are supposed to be the best of the best! Top of your line! But, what I see before me is nothing more than a bunch of pitiful rookies! You make me sick. Dismissed. All of you, get out of my sight before I change my mind." the Director growls.

"Sir! It wasn't their fault! If you want to point fingers, point them at me! I'm solely at fault. I let Carolina get the better of me and told Maine and Wash not to give chase. I accept full responsiility and whatever punishment you see fit for my actions." Cali retorts.

"You are part of a team, therefore it is a _team_ failure. Not yours alone. But, since you were leading the team, your punishment will be more severe. We will discuss the terms later in private. Until then, you are dismissed Agent California." he states coldly.

Cali watches him go. She wanted to punch him in his stupid, perfect face. _"Wait. What? Where did that come from?"_ she thinks. _"Ugh! Why is he being so strict! The AI's aren't really that important. And, honestly, who the fuck cares about Carolina? She can go die in a hole for all I care! Goddamnit! I hate him so much! His stupid, perfect face. Those piercing, emerald eyes. That sexy southern drawl... Wait. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?! Where did that even come from?! Oh, who am I kidding? I can't hate him. But, fuck! He makes me so frustrated, I just want to.. UGGGHHHH!" _Cali debates angrily.

Too lost her in thoughts. Cali hadn't realized where she was going. A solid metal door stood between her and her destination. She had absentmindedly made her way to the Director's quarters. _"Well, no going back now. Might as well give him a piece of my mind!" _Cali thinks, then enters the Director's quarters without knocking.

"Alright, Leonard! I've had it up to here with-"

But, she's cut off by the Director crashing his lips agianst hers in a rough kiss.

Cali is taken aback by the sudden action. She tries to pull away but finds herself enraptured. A spark is ignited inside her very soul, awakening something in her that she has never felt before. She presses into him, craving the closeness. Her hands search for anything, and everything to grab onto. She clenches the back of the Director's head, threading her gloved fingers through his hair. Her nose is tickled by the well kempt facial hair decorating the Director's features.

They pull away, breathless. Twin pulls of emerald and chocolate fire lock together. The passion between them is almost unbareable to the couple. The Director skillfully unlocks Cali's chest armor. Taking the hint, Cali steps back, removing her armor little by little, luring the Director into a seductive trance. She leaves her undersuit on as she tries to reach for the Director's overcoat.

"Ah, ah, ahh... You don't get the privilage of that I'm afraid. This is your punishment." the Director drones, his voice a lower timbre than before.

Serena grunts indignantly but obeys. The tone of his voice alluring her to listen to what he says. She knew she was not in control. The Director takes her by the hair and roughly pushes her to the bed. She falls back, legs already spread and her blonde tresses splayed across the bed.

The Director tosses his glasses aside and slowly undoes the buttons to his overcoat. He tossed the garment aside lazily. Serena couldn't help but stare. She knew Leonard was fit but she _never_ imagined him to be _this_ fit. He stood there, she dared comparing him to a Greek god, well muscled and downright sexy as hell. His pecs were well filled out, and he had a well chisled six pack. He screamed perfection. She bit her lip as to hush a small moan that was about to escape her lips.

He sauntered over to her, enjoying the flush in her cheeks and the way her lips were slightly parted in awe. He climbed on top of her and straddled her waist. He kissed her fiercly and this time, she did nothing to hush the moan that escaped her lips. The mix of teeth and tongue were driving her crazy. Her lips swollen and red with arousal, made Leonard pause. He gazed at the blonde haired beauty beneathe him. Eyes, half-lidded in pleasure, rosy cheeks, and her sweet scent mixing so nicely with his own musky scent.

"Beautiful." he murmurs.

He then starts to slowly unzip Serena's undersuit. As soon as the zipper is passed her breasts, she lets out an affectionate sigh as the cool air of the room caresses the sensitive flesh. Once it's fully unzipped, he helps her out of it. He gapes at the naked goddess before him. That's what she was in this very moment. A goddess among men. He couldn't stand the tightness of his pants and ditched them quickly. They became lost in the plethora of armor and garments. He finally removed his boxer-briefs to reveal to Serena his hard member.

He crawled on top of her and started trailing rough kisses along her jawline, neck, and shoulders. She moaned loudly as his teeth sunk into her shoulder. It was sure to leave a mark. _"Fuck. I hate him, but fuck it! I love him"_ Serena thinks, abandoning all rational thought and giving into her most carnal desire.

He trailed sloppy kisses down her chest, stopping at each breast to trap each nipple between his teeth, giving a light tweak, causing Serena to arch her back in pleasure and grip Leonard's back tightly. He grunted at the feel of her neatly trimmed nails digging into his back. It only spurred him on to elicit that reaction again. He traced his tongue lazily over the hard buds, causing Serena to let out a gasp and grip his back tighter, dragging her nails down.

Leonard lets out a low groan and continues his assault further down. He kisses and bites at every bit of exposed flesh that he can find. His tongue glides over Serena's abdomen and is delighted to hear another gasp and light moan escape her lips. He trails kisses further down, biting and sucking at her inner thigh, leaving a mark.

_"You're mine"_ he thinks.

_"I'm yours"_ she thinks.

"Is this what you want? Do you want me here?" he asks playfully as his tongue stretches out to taste her for the first time. He is delighted by the semi-sweetness that graces his tastebuds. Serena's hips buck at the sudden intrusion, but the moan to follow betrays her. She needed him. The torment was making her frustrated in ways she never thought possible.

"For fuck's sake Leonard! Just fuck me!" she growls impatiently.

Leonard had to admit, this torture was putting a toll on him as well. So, he obliged and entered her slowly. She cried out and bucked her hips up to push Leonard further inside. However, Leonard wasn't going to give in that easily without a fight. He started up a slow rhythm, being sure to just graze her sweet spot. She groaned and bucked her hips, trying to get him to hit that spot again. However, Leonard wasn't going to until he heard her beg.

"If you came to hear me beg..."

"You will." he drawls in a sultry tone.

He keeps up the onslaught of his slow movements. Serena grit her teeth, she refused to beg. She wouldn't beg. Not for him, not for anyone. She would try to hold out as long as possible. But, with each calculated thrust, she was losing her resolve. He slowly broke her defenses, bit by bit, thrust by thrust. She was biting her lip so tightly, she could taste blood. She finally caved.

"Oh god, Leonard! _Please_! I'm yours."

Leonard picks up his pace and carefully concentrates on the sweet spot. She bucked and trembled at the sheer amount of pleasure taking her higher and higher. She was teetering on the edge, as was Leonard. They both knew at this rate it wouldn't last long. With a final thrust, Serena threw her head back in pleasure as she crashed over the edge. And with her, Leonard followed, his groan laced with all his frustrations and pleasure that he had kept hidden for so long.

He slowly retreated and lay on his back. They both heaved in large gulps of air, trying to regain some of the oxygen that had escaped them during their "exercise". Serena rolled over to face him. He glanced over and a small smirk graced his features. She couldn't help but give him a tired smile in return. It had been a long time since Serena had experienced pleasure of any sorts. The same went for Leonard. He lifted the covers up as he got situated and held it open for Serena to crawl under. She accepted his invitation and curled up next to him, her head resting on his chest.

"Leonard." Serena says sleepily.

"Hm?"

"I-I love you." Serena confesses.

A beat passes.

"I love you too, Serena."

She sighs in relief and closes her eyes, welcoming her first restful sleep.

_**Somewhere in the woods, several miles from the Mother of Invention**_

__"Uggh! Fuck! I can't. We need to stop." Lydia growls, gritting her teeth in pain.

"Sit down here. I'm going to find some water. I mean it, Lydia. Don't go wandering off." Carolina says.

"Yes, Mom." Lydia retorts and sticks her tongue out.

Carolina rolls her eyes and goes off in search of water, leaving Lydia to her own devices.

_"Damn. She's a better shot than I thought."_ Lydia thinks as she shifts slightly, only to recoil in pain.

She sighs, finally giving up on trying to move at all. She starts losing herself in her thoughts. It wasn't often she would do this, but when she would, it was often hard for her to pull herself out of it.

_"I need to be more careful next time. Carolina is counting on me. I can't let her down. Not like this. Although, she does seem rather protective of me lately. Could it be-? Nah, she couldn't. Could she? Eh, best to forget it for now. But, what if she does? Boy, that would change things drastically. I mean a kiss is a kiss, but it had to have some meaning. Especially since it was so sudden and-"_

"Earth to Lydia? Is anyone home?" Carolina says.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. The blood loss must be messing with my head." Lydia replies distractedly.

"Alright, I'll have to make a tourniquet for that shoulder. Here, drink this." Carolina says as she hands Lydia a canteen.

Lydia takes it and nods her head as thanks. She winces as Carolina gently removes her shoulder piece and chest piece.

"Lydia?"

"Hm? Ouch, fuck that hurts!"

"Sorry."

"Continue."

"Can we talk about something personal? You know, in regards to us?'

Lydia freezes and swallows hard.

"Uh, sure. I don't see why not." she replies.

"About that kiss. . . Wow, I'm having a really hard time with this. Um, it's not easy for me to say this as I'm still coming to terms with it."

"Okay. We don't have to talk about it if you're not ready."

"No, no. I'm ready. I just need you to promise me something first."

"Okay."

"Promise me you won't treat me any different. Promise me you won't leave me. Pr0mise me you'll always be here."

Lydia paused to look at Carolina. She saw an array of emotions play across her face. The most prominent ones were sadness and fear. Lydia knew where this was heading but decided to reassure Carolina anyway.

"I promise. Until my last breath, I'll be by your side Carolina."

Carolina looked relieved.

"I. . . love you Lydia. I'm in love with you. I think I have for awhile, it just took that kiss for me to fully realize it. Out of everyone in the project, I trust you the most. You were always there. Even if you didn't say a damn word, your presence made me feel better. And it took me falling off that cliff to realize just how much I missed your presence. I've never relied on anyone. Not since my mother died. But, you saw passed that. You broke through my defenses without really trying. I made you rpomise to never leave me, because I don't ever want to leave you. There was this void in my life until you came around. For that, I thank you. It's okay if you don't feel the same, I just needed to say it."

Lydia stared at Carolina in shock She had no words. So Lydia decided to use actions to fill the silence. She kissed Carolina deeply and passionately. It wasn't the kind of passion to lead to intercourse, but the kind of passion that warms the soul. Lydia poured her heart into that kiss, and Carolina eagerly reciprocated.

"You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say that. All this time, I thought it was one-sided. However, you confessing your feelings to me just now, has put my fears to rest. I love you too, Carolina. More than you will ever know." Lydia finally says after their kiss was broken.

"So, you won't leave me?"

"Never. Not in a million years would I ever think of leaving you. Never forget that."

With that, Carolina finished patching up Lydia with a smile on her face. The two retreated into a nearby cave, snuggled next to each other, waiting for the next day's agenda.

**||Author's Note||**

**Well, here it is guys! The chapter some of you have been dying to have. I hope you all enjoyed this steamy but sweet chapter and I do hope you continue to enjoy this fic as much as I *thoroughly* enjoy writing it. It's been a pleasure to take some of your advice and also be able to connect with you over PM. Anywho, I hope you enjoyed! More to come soon! Remember to keep reading and stay awesome! ^^**


	8. Ignorance Is Bliss

Liberation In Death Chapter 7

**Viewer Discretion is Advised. This work of fiction depicts Violence, Strong Language, and Adult Themes. You have been warned.**

Chapter 7: Ignorance Is Bliss

A loud knock echoes through the seemingly empty room. Two bodies shoot up in surprise at the sudden noise.

"SHIT!" they both exclaim.

"Sir? I know I'm not supposed to bother you while you're in your private quarters but, I was wondering if you've seen California? We're all set to go looking for Carolina and Pennsylvania but I haven't seen her. Do you know where she could have gone?" Washington calls through the door.

"You need to hide." Leonard whispers.

"No shit, Sherlock. Where the fuck am I supposed to hide?" Cali hisses.

"The closet." he says quietly and poins to the small storage place.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" she whispers vehemently.

"It's either that or you explain to another agent as to why you're naked in my quarters." the Director retorts.

"Ugh. Fine!" she hisses and grabs all her belongings as she ducks into the cramped space.

The Director dresses himself and makes himself look presentable. In a few short strides he reaches the door and pulls it open.

"Good morning, Agent Wsahington. I have not seen Agent California since your debreifing last night. Have you tried the Firing Range or perhaps the Mess Hall?" he offers.

"Firing Range, of course. Why didn't I think of that? Well, thank you, Sir. I'll check there." Washington replies.

Washington gives him a curt salute and then heads off in the direction of the Firing Range. The Director closes the door swiftly and turns in time to see Cali making her way out of the closet. To his surprise she was fully clothed in her armor. Her hair was still dishevled, but to him, she still looked perfect.

"So, I guess Wash was looking for me?" she says nonchalantly.

"Yes, it appears so. No matter. You shouldn't keep him waiting. I have valuable information that should help you on your mission California." the Director replies, his once gentle tone slipping back into its' authoritive state.

"Oh? What might that be, Sir?" she says, her tone shifting back as well.

"It seems North Dakota discovered a blood trail. Still relatively fresh and based on the evidence around it, he has reason to believe it's Pennsylvania's blood. You did wound her, correct?" he confirms.

She simply nods.

"Then it is Pennsylvania's blood. It leads approximately ninety clicks south of our current location. I want her found, California. I also want her alive." he states.

"But, Sir! What's the point of keeping her alive? She's betrayed us and plans to kill you. I say we just-"

"Enough! You have your orders, California. I will not sit here while you disobey a direct order. I want them brought here. Alive. No exceptions, California. Injure them if necessary but make sure they're not at the point of bleeding out. We just need the equipment they have. Is that in anyway unclear, California?" he retorts coldly.

She grits her teeth and clenches her fist.

"Yes, Sir. Consider it done."

"Good. Now, go." he says.

She promptly leaves, helmet in hand.

She walks down the corridor, frustrations put aside for the moment. She starts to absorb herself into her thoughts. Whilst combing over memories, she fails to see where she is going and bumps into something metallic and very solid.

"Hey watch where you're-Rough night?" Wash says a smirk hidden under his helmet.

"Fuck off, Wash!"

She quickly brushes passed him and heads off to her quarters. Once safely inside, she sinks to the floor. She gazes at the clock in dismay. _"Great. 10:30. Can this morning get any worse? First __**her**__, now Wash. Can't I catch a fucking break?"_ she thinks to herself. Her gaze wanders to a lone picture frame resting on her night stand. She smiles lightly as she sees the many smiling faces of her team, and a few strays from Red team that she had picked up. _"I hope you guys are safe. Especially you, John. I hope you're keeping everyone in line. I know my absence has caused some pain, but I'm sure you'd understand why I couldn't come back. I'll tell you all someday, just not today."_ she thinks idly.

She sighs longingly before she picks herself up, secures her helmet on her head, and makes her way out of her quarters to join Washington in the hunt to find Carolina and Pennsylvania.

_**Somewhere else on the Mother Of Invention**_

__"Sir, we have something you might want to see." a male states, nudging his friend with his elbow.

"Yes, Sir. It's really important." the second male states.

The Director sighs then says,

"What is it, gentleman? I'm very busy."

The first male nudges his friend again, whom reveals a confections box that he had hidden behind his back. They open the box to reveal a cake with perfect writing reading; _"Congrats on the Sex!"_. The first male gives the Director a thumbs up.

The Director turns on his heel, and promptly leaves the Bridge.

_**Approximately 100 clicks south of the MOI**_

"So, what's our plan now? Where do we go from here?" Carolina says as they pause to take a small rest.

"Well, there's a city nearby. It's about a day's travel by foot. But, if we push, we could probably make it there just before morning." Lydia replies monitoring her surroundings for any sign of the other freelancers.

"We can't push."

"Carolina-"

"No, Penn. We can't push because you're hurt. If we push, those stitches will tear." Carolina retorts.

"Carolina!"

She pauses.

Lydia pulls off her left shoulder piece and loosens her chest piece enough to open her undersuit enough to reveal her wounded shoulder.

"It healed overnight. Once the wound is closed, it doesn't take long for Spartans to recover. Genetic Augmentations have given us incredible 'abilities'. Such as healing quickly, being able to stay moving and stay awake for months at a time. I might be slightly exaggerating that last one but it is definitely a long time. I'm fine. Don't worry about me. By the way, once we get into the city, I'm taking you to the local clinic. You've definitely got a cracked rib, based on the bruising on your right side. We have to get it set properly or else it won't heal right." Lydia reasons.

Carolina stares in shock. She looks away briefly. She then takes a deep sigh then says,

"Alright. If you say so, then let's get going."

"Good idea." Lydia agrees.

The two walked on for a few hours in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company. It was moments like these, that Carolina knew she'd always cherish. She knew that this is what love is. Being able to enjoy talking to each other as well as enjoying the silence was always a good sign. She knew Lydia was probably more wrapped in their surroundings than anything else, but she wasn't about to ruin the quiet.

_"Ha, quiet. That's new. Something I never thought I'd get to experience. These passed few months have been hectic. I don't know how she can stay so calm and nonchalant about everything."_ Carolina thinks off-handedly.

"You know, Carolina, I hear there's a pretty great night club in this city. I'm thinking once you're well enough we could lie low for awhile, maybe see what there is to see. Take in the civilian life for a bit." Lydia says with a light chuckle.

"Perhaps. But, shouldn't you be taking a girl out to dinner first before you take her to a club?" Carolina replies with a chuckle of her own.

"I thought you like living in the moment. Besides, I don't know about you, but I could use a stiff drink." Lydia laughs.

"Ditto." Carolina agrees, laughing with Lydia.

"You know Carolina, despite what people have said about you, I always knew there was more. I knew you weren't the person everyone was making you out to be. I think that's part of the reason I fell for you. You were so different. Determined, yes. Power hungry? No. We all make mistakes. It's what makes us human. You're smart, funny, sexy as hell, and you've got a great personality. Fuck what other people think. You're perfect the way you are. Imperfections included." Lydia comments warmly.

Carolina falls silent, a shy smile and blush well hidden behind her helmet.

"Oh no. Was it something I said?" Lydia asks, suddenly becoming anxious.

"No. Well, yes. But, it's not bad. It's just, no one has ever said anything nice like that about me. It's always that I'm a bitch or that I'd rather sacrifice my own teammates before I'd give up on being number one. But you, you see me as something else. But, I have to ask. Why do you see me this way? Why do you see me as this kind and gentle soul when I've done the things that they've said about me. I am a bitch, I have sacrificed my teammates to keep my spot on the leaderboard, I've done all of those things. And yet, you still see me as a kinder person. Why?" Carolina questions.

"Carolina, just because you've made a few mistakes, it doesn't make you a horrible person. You were misguided. That's all. We all go through that at some point. I've done some things in my past that I regret too. Believe it or not, I was incarcerated at one point by the Military Police of the UNSC. At the time, I didn't regret what I did. But, that time in prison gave me time to think. I felt guilty for what I did to that Marine. I didn't want to plead insanity, but I knew that there was something seriously wrong with me. So I told the truth. To this day, I still regret it but I don't dwell on it."

"My point is, Carolina, despite what people say and despite what you've done in your past, it doesn't define you. The Carolina I know, feels horrible about what's happened. When I was attacked, you feared more for my safety than your own. You didn't care if you died, you only cared that I made it safely. Alive. And, I did. If it was just me against them, I probably would have died. But, you were there, you stayed just to make sure I did live. That proves to me that there's so much more to you than you let on. You genuinely care about other people's feelings. You care for their safety and you worry when something has happened to them. Remember when I suggested we push and you told me no? If the Carolina that everyone else talks about were here, she wouldn't have cared about my injury. But, I don't see that Carolina. I see the real Carolina." she pauses.

"I see the Carolina that was always there, but you kept it hidden. So I ask you, Carolina. Why hide who you are?" she finishes.

Carolina stops in her tracks. She looks over at Lydia to see that she had taken off her helmet and was staring back at her with intense blue eyes. She swallows hard. She doesn't know how to answer that question. She has no words. She looks away, unable to stand Lydia's gaze much longer. She pulls her helmet off and magnetizes it to her back. She takes a deep breath and sighs.

"I don't know why I hide it. Maybe I see it as a sign of weakness. Something that people can exploit. It all happened after my mother died. My father, he kind of, shut down and secluded himself. I hid who I really was because I fought so hard for his attention. Any accomplishment I made, he'd completely ignore. So I became something that he'd finally pay attention to. I joined the Marines like my mother, trained hard to be the best soldier. That's what I became. A soulless killing machine. A war-hardened soldier with no emotion. Then I found out that my father had started Project Freelancer. I was the first he approached. He didn't even acknowledge me as his own daughter anymore. I was just another soldier to be used at his disposal. And I hated it. I used that anger and that frustration to drive myself to be the best of the best and to not let anyone stand in my way of that goal. I guess I'm that stereotypical girl with daddy issues." Carolina replies solemnly.

"You're not a steroetype. I don't care what people say. No matter what they tell you Carolina, you are not the steroetypical girl with 'daddy issues'. Your father is just grieving in a very negative way. And that, has nothing to do with you. That's on him. I know I can't fix the past, but I am going to make your future better. You're worth it Carolina, and you have made great strides. Despite that stupid fucking leaderboard, you are the best of the best Carolina. Tex didn't care about killing CT but you knew it was wrong. I don't care if it takes me years to convince you of it, but I'm proud of the strides you've taken to better yourself. I will continue to validate you for as long as it takes. Even if your father doesn't see it, I think your mother would be very proud of you." Lydia comforts.

A stray tear cascades down Carolina's cheek but is quickly wiped away by the gloved pad of Lydia's thumb.

"Thank you, Lydia. It means a lot to hear you say that." she says a small smile forming on her lips.

"Anytime, Carolina." Lydia smiles softly.

"Alright," she says wiping her eyes and putting her helmet back on.

"Let's keep moving." she finishes.

"After you, Carolina." Lydia gestures ahead of her.

Carolina holds out her hand shyly.

"I thought it'd be nice if we walk together." she says nervously.

Lydia chuckles lightly then says,

"Alright. I'd like that."

They walk on, hand in hand. Smiles graced both of their features. Unbeknownst to the couple, a shadow had been watching their exchange. The shadow steps into the light, revealing silver and cobalt armor that glints in the light of the late afternoon sun.

"So you found them, then?" Wash says.

"Yes. They're heading to the city." Cali replies flatly.

"Geez, what's got you all riled up?" Wash asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because we should have had them already. Maybe it's because you're cutting into other people's personal life. Or, maybe it's just you, Wash!" she yells.

"Hey! That's uncalled for! I didn't do shit to you. Why are you mad at me?!" Wash retorts angrily.

"I—I'm sorry Wash. I'm just a little stressed. We can't let them get to the city. That city is big. If they reach it before we do, we'll lose them. Knowing Lydia, she plans on having them ditch their armor and wear civilian clothes to blend in. The only problem is, I don't know another way to the city that's faster and will cut them off." Cali sighs apologetically.

"Why not take the main road? We could commandeer a vehicle and get there in plenty of time. Wouldn't you agree Maine?" Wash says turning to his mute partner.

"Agent Maine agrees with Agent Washington. I believe that that would be the best course of action. Especially if we mean to cut them off _before_ they reach the city." Sigma states.

"You know, normally I wouldn't listen to a demonic AI, but you have a point. Okay, let's get to it then." Cali replies and starts heading towards the main road. The others follow shortly after.

_"I'm coming for you Lydia. You and that red-haired bitch won't live to see the city. I'll make sure of that!" _

_**2300 hours approximately six hours before daylight, 4 hours away from the city**_

__"Let's rest a bit here. We're making good time." Lydia says.

"Good, I could use a break." Carolina replies.

The two rest on a log as Lydia begins cleaning her sniper rifle out of habit. She had already removed her helmet and set it off to the side. Carolina watched her intently. It always fascinated her that Lydia had so many different habits that would go unnoticed by those who did not pay attention. She noted that Lydia always disassembled her weapons predominantly with her right hand, definitely her dominant hand. She also noted that Lydia like to hum different songs while she cleaned her weapons and that each song depended on her mood. She noted how Lydia's knee would bounce while she listened to their surroundings and she also noted how Lydia would never focus on her left side too often despite it looking like a weak point.

She snapped out of her reverie when she saw Lydia jump to her feet and quickly secure her helmet on her head. Carolina looks around carefully, trying to find any signs of movement while drawing her pistol. She sees Lydia motion her to go prone. They both slowly settle onto the forest floor. Lydia holds up three fingers.

_"Okay, three people."_

She then points her thumb down.

_"Okay. Three bad people."_

She motions her hand like a gun, then motions her arm like a muscle, and finally motions like a steering wheel.

_"Shit. Cali, Maine, and Wash. How'd they find us so fast?"_ she thinks, her fear rising.

Lydia holds her hand up in a fist.

_"I know not to move. That's a given."_

Lydia looks over her shoulder and motions two fingers to the left and she points to her self and gestures right. Carolina nods and they both crawl in their respective directions before slowly rising to their feet and moving swiftly through the forest, heading towards their goal.

"Carolina. Watch your six. If they're here, it means they're trying to cut us off. Until we get to the city, radio silence unless it's an emergency." Lydia says quietly over their radio.

"Understood." Carolina whispers back.

They carry on in radio silence for what seems like forever. They come to a clearing and to their surprise, they see the city. Though they are distant, they can see each other and start to meet each other.

A sniper round fires and flies passed both their heads.

"Get down!" Lydia yells.

They both dive for whatever cover they could find. They ready their weapons in anticipation and monitor their motion trackers.

"Well, shit. I appear to have missed. But I can promise you, the next one won't." Cali calls menacingly.

"You're all talk Cali. You never could out-gun me. I was always the better shot. You know that." Lydia calls back tauntingly.

"Oh please. You can't beat me. I've had time to practice while you were off playing hero. Face it Lydia. I've got you cornered here. You know you're not going to survive so you're just talking out of your ass to buy time." Cali hollers, irritated.

"If that were true, I'd be telling you that Carolina is already halfway to the city. I'd also be rushing you to buy her time. But, as I'm sure you know, neither of those things are happening." Lydia retorts.

She turns towards Carolina whom, was a few feet away from her.

"Listen, I'm going to try to talk to her."

"Are you nuts?! She'll kill you as soon as you step out! No. You're not going anywhere. End of discussion. We can take them." Carolina argues.

"No we can't. You know that. Just trust me. If I go out there unarmed, Wash won't let her shoot." Lydia replies.

"It's not her I'm entirely worried about." Carolina states dryly.

"I'm not concerned about Maine either. Just trust me, okay? You have to trust me." Lydia pleads.

Carolina stares at her for a bit.

"Fine. But you better not fucking die. I will personally bring you back just to kill you again for being stupid." Carolina gives in.

"Deal." Lydia replies.

She sets her guns down by the rock she had dove behind and steps out with her hands raised.

"I'm coming out with my hands up Cali. If you shoot, you're no better than a murderer." Lydia calls as she finally clears the rock.

"Hmph. You really expect me to stoop so low? I'm hurt." Cali says sarcastically.

"Always a first for something Cali." Lydia chides as she walks toward the trio.

"Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to come quietly. What gives? And where's your side hoe?" Cali chastises.

"She's here. But lying low as I told her to." Lydia states.

"Such an obedient dog." Cali spats.

"I could say the same about you." Lydia retorts.

"You never answered my first question."

"I don't intend to."

"And, why not?"

"Why give you the satisfaction?" Lydia says.

"Because it would make my life so much easier and killing you that much more enjoyable." Cali replies.

"Of course it would."

"Quit stalling. You know what I want. Why not just play nice and hand it over huh?" Cali growls.

"Sorry, but I like what I have and don't intend on sharing it. Besides, you're really gullible you know that?" Lydia says with a light chuckle.

"Yeah right. What could you have possibly done in the time that we've been talking?" Cali questions.

"Uh. . . Cali?" Wash calls.

"I'm busy. What is it Wash?"

"Carolina is gone. And so are Lydia's weapons." he replies.

"What?! What do you mean, gone?!" Cali yells.

"She's gone. As in not here." Wash states.

"No shit, Sherlock it was fucking rhetorical!" Cali growls.

Cali pushes passed Lydia and walks up to Wash, Maine close behind but Maine kept looking over his shoulder at Lydia.

"How could you let her slip passed you! I told you to flank her since I knew Lydia would be distracting us. We went over this I don't know how many fucking times Wash!"

"Look it's not my fault that you-"

"Agents."

"Yeah well we wouldn't have this problem if you'd just-"

"_Agents_."

"Oh real big talk from someone that fu-"

"AGENTS!"

"What?!" they say in unison.

"While you two were bickering, Agent Pennyslvania escaped." Sigma says calmly.

"This is your fault, Wash." Cali says coldly.

"Yes, because _all_ of your problems can be blamed on me." Wash retorts angrily.

"Agents! Please. While you two are bickering, Agent Pennsylvania proceeds to gain more distance from us. Can you two stop acting like children for the rest of the day so we can track them down?" Sigma scolds.

"I hate to say it but he's got a point." Wash says.

"Yeah, I guess so. Let's go before her trail gets cold."

"Roger that."

_**Downtown New Alexandria, Reach. 2100hrs**_

Carolina strode lazily up to the club entrance. Her hips swayed with unwavered confidence. A blue sash hugged her right hip and swayed easily in the light breeze. She sauntered passed the bouncer who gave her a curt nod. Once in the club, she was quickly deafened by the heavy bass.

She walked up to the bar and ordered a simple but light drink to get her started for the evening. Several gentleman approached and asked her to dance, but she denied all of them. Another gentleman approached her, and despite her declining his polite offer, he remained persistant. She was growing irritated with his constant attempts to get her to dance with him.

"I'm sorry! I just really don't want to dance with you! I'm actually here with someone!" she yells over the music.

"Oh really? Where is he then? I just see a fine lady looking for a dance partner!" he hollers back.

"I'm actually here with my boyfriend! Yeah! He's the jealous type too! He's tall, and really strong! I don't think you should be hanging around me!" she shouts.

"I ain't scared of him! I could probably kick his ass! Show you what a real man looks like!" he calls.

"Oh hey! Here he comes now! Listen man, I tried to warn you!" she hollers.

Carolina jumps as the man gropes her rear end. He suddenly disappears from her sight and she turns to see Lydia with her arm extended.

"Was he bothering you? You okay?" Lydia yells.

"He _was_ bothering me! But you took care of him! I'm fine! About time you showed up!" Carolina calls.

"Let's go some place quieter!" Lydia hollers.

"Okay! We could step outside for a bit!" Carolina offers.

Lydia nods and grabs Carolina's hand and leads her through the bustling crowd. She shoves passed all the people bumping and grinding against each other. She finally breaks through the thick of the crowd and allows Carolina to take the lead. Once Carolina gets ahead, Lydia can't help but let her gaze wander. She averts her gaze as soon as they get outside.

"Wow, the club is really popular tonight." Carolina says, a light ring in her ears.

"Yeah, but thankfully you're easy to spot." Lydia replies.

"Is that another crack at my hair?" Carolina asks.

Lydia laughs then says,

"Maybe."

Carolina rolls her eyes. She takes the moment to look over Lydia. She's taken aback by Lydia's choice of outfit. Lydia wore a simple black button up shirt that was slightly parted at the top. She wore a loose red tie and dark jeans accented by black Oxfords. She was stunning. Carolina swallowed hard as several lewd thoughts entered her mind. She clears her throat and looks away in embarassment.

"Like what you see?" Lydia chuckles, a cocky grin gracing her lips.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Carolina replies dismissively.

"Really? That blush says otherwise." Lydia counters, confidence pouring into her words.

"Well. . . you do look. . . hot." Carolina mumbles shyly.

Lydia laughs then says,

"Well, that outfit really accentuates your curves. Very sexy."

Carolina blushes a deep red.

"Still so innocent." Lydia chides playfully.

"Fuck you, Lydia."

"Well, if you insist." Lydia replies, her voice husky and seductive.

Carolina looks at Lydia in shock. She gazes into bi-color, piercing blue eyes and is taken aback by the fire that burns behind them. She sees lust, love, a hint of sadness, and excitement in the twin pools of ice. She watches as Lydia slowly closes the gap between them. Carolina feels her heart start to race and her breath hitches.

"Lydia. . ." she whispers breathlessly.

Lydia says nothing and leans in, closing the little distance between them. Her lips connect to Carolina's. Jolts of electricity ignite in both women. The kiss is slow, sultry, and promises of things yet to come. It seems to last for an eternity though to the outside world it was a mere few seconds. The two pull away, Carolina panting.

"We shouldn't. Not here. Too many eyes." Carolina says between breaths.

"Agreed. I still owe you a drink and a dance. But, later, I promise." Lydia replies, taking deep breaths to calm herself.

Lydia offers her arm to Carolina. Carolina laughs but links her own arm with Lydia's. The two walk back into the bustling club. Lydia leads them to the bar where she orders them two shots of tequila. Lydia raises her glass as does Carolina. They tap the glasses and take their shots. Lydia takes hers straight with no lime and shudders a bit. Carolina takes hers but finds she can't handle it and bites into her lime. The citrus soothes the burn temporarily but the strength of the drink still makes Carolina shudder.

"Ugh. How can you take that shit straight? I always need the lime!" Carolina shouts over the music.

"I have a high alcohol tolerance! Takes a lot more than that for me to have a chaser!" Lydia hollers back.

"Makes sense but, damn!"

"When you've got genetic augmentations, you tend to experiment with just how much your body can handle!" Lydia yells.

Carolina nods. Lydia leans over the bar and orders them two drinks. Carolina notes Lydia ordered a whiskey on the rocks. She also noted Lydia had ordered her a simple martini. Lydia hands Carolina her drink and they tap glasses again. They slowly sip their alcoholic beverages and make their way to the dance floor.

"Only time you'll catch me dancing!" Lydia shouts.

Carolina laughs.

"We should set these somewhere!" Carolina calls.

Lydia nods and takes Carolina's glass, finding a nearby table to rest them on.

"There! Safe from spilling!" Lydia hollers.

The two entangle themselves as the music changes to a fast-paced sultry tune. Lydia wraps her arms around Carolina in the fashion of a traditional dance. Carolina gasps as she's pulled tight to Lydia's chest. Lydia dips Carolina and begins their tango. They move in perfect harmony, as if they had been doing it for years. Carolina swayed her hips seductively, sending Lydia into a lust filled trance. The two moved as one, far apart and yet inseperable at the same time. Lydia grabs Carolina by the hips and lifts her high into the air. She holds her arms out as if she's flying before Lydia gently brings her back to earth.

"I had no idea you could dance!" Carolina shouts as the music finishes.

"It's a well kept secret! Don't tell anybody!" she hollers back and tosses her a wink.

They head to the bar, their previous drinks forgotten. Lydia orders two new drinks, this time stronger. Lydia hands Carolina her drink and then proceeds to down her own before ordering another right away. Carolina follows suit and orders them two more shots of tequila. She smirks at Lydia as she hands her the shot.

"All right show off, let's see if you can handle it still! You've had more alcohol than me!" Carolina calls.

Lydia smiles and takes the shot straight, only shuddering slightly.

"High tolerance, remember?" she yells, a smug grin on her face.

"You bitch!" Carolina hollers playfully.

Lydia orders another set of shots. Lydia hands Carolina her shot, they link arms and down them at the same time. Carolina coughs a bit and shudders but otherwise recovers quickly. She can feel the familiar haze of her buzz starting to kick in. She felt arms wrap around her back and felt warm breath tickle the crook of her neck. She moaned slightly though it was drowned out by the music.

Lydia places a delicate kiss at her pulse point. Carolina shudders at the contact. Lydia then captures her lips in a heated kiss. She bit at Carolina's lower lip and groped her rear end, causing Carolina to jump and moan from the stimulation. Carolina finds herself struggling to do something with her hands so she wraps them around Lydia's neck and runs her fingers through the hair at the nape of her neck, causing Lydia to shiver.

"Let's go some place more private!" Carolina yells and takes Lydia by the hand.

She leads them to the bathroom which, much to their surprise, is unoccupied at the moment. As soon as Lydia is through the door, Carolina closes and locks the door. She turns around but yelps in surprise as she's pressed firmly against the door. Lydia captures her lips again and bites at her lower lip. Carolina moans softly. Lydia lifts Carolina up and Carolina wraps her legs around Lydia's waist. Lydia breaks the kiss to trail fire down Carolina's neck. She bites down lightly at the crook, earning another small moan from Carolina.

"Oh god, Lydia. Are you sure you want to do this here? In a bathroom?" Carolina asks.

"I have a hotel room if you'd prefer a bed." Lydia replies, tossing her a wink.

"Let's go there then. It seems so tacky to be doing this in a bathroom at a night club." Carolina says.

"Well, look who suddenly has standards." Lydia replies with a chuckle.

Carolina glares at her.

"Okay, okay. We'll go, come on."

_**At the hotel room**_

Once inside, the two had resumed their activity from the bathroom. Their shoes were the first things to go. Lydia picked up Carolina and gently set her on the bed. She crawled onto the bed and straddled Carolina's waist. She kissed her deeply then started to trail kisses down her neck. She moved slowly, as to tease her lover, much to Carolina's displeasure. Lydia then kissed her way down to Carolina's chest, which was conveniently exposed by her tank top. Carolina moaned lightly and dug her nails into Lydia's back, earning her a small pleasured grunt from Lydia.

Lydia grabbed the base of the tank top and looked at Carolina, asking permission. Carolina found it cute that Lydia was still being respectful and chivalrous despite what they were trying to do at the moment. She nods to Lydia shyly. Lydia slowly removes the article tossing it onto the floor. Lydia stops for a moment, enjoying the newly freed bits of skin. Her breasts were still covered by a simple cyan colored bra. Lydia kissed each breast and kissed her way down to the hem of Carolina's shorts. Carolina was squirming the whole time, her stomach was very sensitive.

Lydia stopped and gazed up again, silently asking permission. Carolina nodded, her eyes half lidded in a lust filled haze. Lydia unbottoned the shorts quickly and removed them, letting them join Carolina's tank top on the floor. Lydia smirked as she gazed at Carolina's choice of underwear; a cyan colored thong. _"Leave it to Carolina to match."_ Lydia thinks. Carolina blushes and looks away.

"Aww, come on. It's cute." Lydia says, a large smile gracing her features.

"Shut up. This isn't fair. I'm almost naked and you're not even topless." Carolina whines.

"Well then, care to fix that?" Lydia asks huskily, making Carolina shiver.

She sat up slightly and removed Lydia's tie. Then she started to slowly unbotton Lydia's shirt. She watched as Lydia squirmed impatiently. Once she finally freed the last button, she slid the smooth material off of Lydia's shoulders. To her surprise, there was no bra to conceal her breasts. Carolina's hands wandered to Lydia's chest where she gently caressed both breasts, causing Lydia to moan lightly.

Lydia removed the rest of the shirt as Carolina kept massaging her breasts. Carolina breaks out of her trance when she feels Lydia's lips at her neck, biting and sucking at the sensitive spot. She lets her hands wander to Lydia's jeans, hooking her fingers through the belt loops at her hips and yanking her forward a bit, causing a small bit of friction between the two. Both women moaned softly at the contact. Carolina hastily unbottoned Lydia's jeans and pushed them down as far as she could. Lydia hopped off and finished what Carolina started, revealing a pair of form fitting boy shorts. Carolina bit her lip to contain a moan that almost escaped.

Lydia crawled back on top of Carolina and straddled her waist once more. She kissed, sucked, and bit at the newly exposed flesh. She found a particularly sensitive spot on Carolina's thigh in her exploration. Carolina became frustrated. She needed release and all this teasing was driving her crazy. She grabbed the back of Lydia's head and pulled her roughly up to meet her gaze. Lydia yelped and bit her lip to fight off her own moan that had threatened to escape.

"Lydia, I know you want this to be all romantic, but I will seriously kill you if you don't _fuck me. Right. Now._" Carolina threatens.

Lydia nods as she removes what little articles of clothing the two had left. She began to kiss her way down Carolina's body, stopping to appreciate Carolina's breasts. She kissed and sucked on each one, capturing a nipple between her teeth and lightly tweaking it, earning a loud moan from Carolina. All the while, her hands had travelled farther south, tracing small patterns in Carolina's abdomen. Carolina twitched and moaned at the contact. Lydia then began to tease her with a single finger. She circled Carolina's clit with the pad of her thumb as her index finger teased her opening. Carolina's hips bucked, trying to gain more friction where she needed it most.

She moaned as Lydia slipped a single finger inside her while her thumb continued to tease her clit. Lydia crooked her finger and made a "come hither" motion. Carolina's hips bucked uncontrollably as she moaned loudly. She wanted more, craved more of Lydia. She freed one of her hands that had entangled into the sheets and pulled Lydia down for a passionate kiss, her tongue battling Lydia's for dominance. Lydia continued to tease Carolina's clit as she started moving slowly.

Carolina arched her back and moaned into Lydia's lips. She pulled away and tossed her head back as Lydia's finger pushed harder, finding that sweet spot. Her whole body was shaking. She knew at this rate she wouldn't last long. She found it embarassing that Lydia had this effect on her, and with only one finger no less. She could feel her orgasm building fast, threatening to completely overtake her at any moment. She held out for as long as she could, but with one final thrust of her finger, Carolina toppled over the edge. Her hips bucked and she shook as the throes of passion claimed her. She fell back into the bed, sated.

Lydia slowed her motions and retracted her fingers, letting Carolina enjoy the after glow. Carolina's chest heaved as she gasped for oxygen. Once her breathing had calmed some, she looked over at Lydia. Lydia had a subdued expression, her smile soft and warm. Carolina smiled tiredly. Carolina took this time to switch their positions quickly. Lydia let out a gasp of surprise. Carolina smiled shyly.

"I've uh, never done this with a woman before. Where do I begin?" Carolina says quietly.

"First, relax. Second, just do what you would to yourself. It's very easy." Lydia replies, settling back.

Carolina sighs. She hovers over Lydia and starts teasing Lydia's clit. Lydia shivers and bucks her hips. She didn't want Carolina to know just how close she was. Especially since she didn't think Carolina was so vocal. She couldn't lie, it had turned her on quite a bit. Carolina presses the pad of her finger hard into Lydia's clit, earning her a loud moan from Lydia. Carolina stopped her motions and stared for a moment, a playfully evil grin gracing the corners of her lips.

"You're very close aren't you?" she says teasingly.

Lydia blushes.

"No."

"Oh, so you won't mind if I do. . . this?" Carolina says as she presses the pad of her finger against Lydia's clit again, moving in a small circle.

Lydia moaned loudly again, her breath coming in short gasps.

"F-fuck." Lydia says.

"Well, if you insist." Carolina says seductively.

She flicks the swollen bud over and over again, making Lydia's hips buck out of sync. She was indeed close. It didn't take Lydia long at all to climax. Carolina flicked the nub one more time and Lydia toppled over the edge, her hips bucking and her mouth hung open, almost frozen from pure ephoric bliss.

Lydia came back down to earth a short while later and smiled at Carolina. Carolina smiled back, proud of herself. She wore a smug smile that was quickly wiped away as soon as Lydia pulled her down to her chest. After the initial shock of being pulled down, Carolina relaxed into the embrace. Her fingers wandered over Lydia's chest, tracing a deep scar that emblazened it.

"Energy sword." Lydia comments off-handedly, her tone low and lazy.

Carolina kissed the scar and nestled back into Lydia. Lydia pulled the covers over them and wrapped her arms around Carolina. She kissed the top of her head and finally relaxed fully for the first time in her life. She felt safe, like she could forget her troubles and just be here forever in Carolina's arms. She knew better though. This simple night of passion would be buried to the back of her mind. They were still on the run. Still in danger of Recovery One finding them. But for now, she would enjoy this.

_"Tomorrow is a new day."_

**|| Author's Note ||**

** Hey there everybody! I know, it's been a while and some of you may have abandoned all hope of this being updated but I've been busy with adulting and life things. But here it is! Chapter 7. And if I know you little pervs, you'll enjoy this one. ;) Either way, I'm still having fun writing this and I will be continuing it as often as I can. Hope you guys enjoyed it and expect more in the next week or so. I'll try my best to keep to that time frame. ^^**


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